Aftermath
by Kristina Marie
Summary: What happens when the Battle ends? What lies behind Keith's recovery and Tsuyo's (Hunk) discovery about the lions? Rated M for language and adult scenes.
1. Chapter 1

This takes place several months after "Battle."

Although I started this with a short scene in mind, it simply developed as the characters decided they had more to tell and reveal.

Please enjoy, and feel free to ask questions. The characters may even choose to answer!

All original characters are mine, the ones from the show belong to the show.

Any resemblance to anyone living or dead may or may not be intentional depending on if you like the resemblance or not.

Any mistakes are mine, because I did not seek a beta reader.

-Kristina

Aftermath

Hunk pressed the doorbell outside the door to the solar.

"Yes?" asked a tired voice from inside.

"Can we talk for a few minutes?" Hunk replied, uncertain of the answer.

After a long minute the door opened. The occupant of the room stood in front of the large windows basking in the afternoon sunlight, eyes closed, right hand massaging the left.

Hands in pockets, Hunk ambled into the room moving to stand next to his friend looking out over the view. The two men stood in silence, each to their own thoughts. After a time, the larger man gave himself a shake and turned to look at the leader of the Voltron Force, declared Hero, new King of Arus, but most important, his friend. In the last few months, he had watched his friend struggle to reconnect to the world and find his place in it. Hunk knew, better than the other members of the force, what Keith had sacrificed to remain with them.

The King's physical struggles matched his mental ones, even though he tried to put up a good front. The yellow pilot studied his face and really looked at the physical changes. He never saw the new King without a sweater or wearing warm clothing. The weight lost, first to the Agappon then the parasite returned very slowly. In the meantime, Keith felt the cold more acutely.

Although Hunk knew the new King worked out daily, he could lift only a fraction of his previous limit. Keith had tried to return to the team's daily routine, but ceased when it became clear he could not physically keep up with the rest. He had turned Cady's martial arts training over to Lance for the time being, because he struggled to perform even the most basic of moves. Dr. Gorma had clearly stated it would take months before he would clear Keith for even the lightest duty because of the slow recovery.

By outward appearance, Keith took each set back in stride, but Hunk wondered how much he reeled inwardly. Hunk found the captain, always an introspective man, quieter, more comfortable with silence and making no effort to fill it, regardless of the other person's discomfort. He seldom joined the team, neither old nor new, in the evenings. Slowly, the captain drew further into himself and away from the outside world.

Pinching lips together, the dark haired man suddenly clutched at his upper left arm tight with his right hand. Several deep breaths through the nose later, the hand relaxed, and Keith's body slumped slightly. Without a word, he stepped backwards to a chair placed in front of the windows and sat down heavily without any grace. His head flopped back, eyes closing and breaths coming harshly as his right hand massaged the muscle between the shoulder and elbow.

Hunk stood watching for a minute or two before walking to grab one of the other chairs in the room and pulling in to face the side of his friend's chair. "Let me."

Opening his eyes, Keith turned his head, blinking as though he forgotten Hunk had joined him in the room. With a brief nod, he let his right hand fall to his lap and closed his eyes once more. Placing his hands on either side of the emaciated arm, the yellow pilot began to gently massage the spasming muscle. He could feel the jumps underneath his hands. Starting near the shoulder, Hunk gently squeezed the muscle and then pressed his thumbs outward. Releasing the arm, he moved down an inch and repeated the motion. Within moments, his hands established a rhythm; squeeze, thumbs, release, and move, both up and down the arm to the hands and back. As he started the journey a second time, he felt a miniscule relaxing of the muscle and a corresponding sigh from the captain. By the time he worked back to the shoulder, Keith's shoulders had relaxed from a tense position and the muscles ceased their spasms.

With a final pat, Hunk released the arm and sat back in his own chair. He finally noticed a small table on the other side of Keith's chair. A quick stretch confirmed the presence of an untouched plate of food and several glasses of various liquids. He also saw the tell-tale sign of medicinal patches waiting for application.

"So, _Commander_ ," began Hunk, emphasizing the new rank. "Any reason you have decided on idiocy as the watchword of the day?"

"Because intrusive busybody was already taken?"

"Aw, I am crushed," Hunk replied sarcastically. "Devastated, even."

A small chuckle escaped the dark haired man, "Not you. Just about every one else today, though."

"Ah, that explains the locked door, then."

Keith finally opened his eyes and turned his head toward his friend. "I do understand that people mean well, and want to help, but the constant hovering is driving me completely insane! Do people not realize I am completely cognizant of the damage done to this body and how shitty it appears most of the time? Yes, I look like a walking advertisement for the effects of any number of diseases and conditions. Yes, I tire easily and yes, I have these fucking spasms multiple times every day." Abruptly, he ceased speaking and pinched his lips together before laying his head back on the chair and closing his eyes releasing a long breath.

"Forgive me my friend; I should not take my frustrations out on one of the few people who still treats me mostly normally."

Shrugging off the words, Hunk leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other and lacing his hands behind his head, not responding, and thinking through his reply in his head. "Well, Cap, I see your point. I guess it is like being in a conversation with someone who contradicts everything you say regardless of the facts. Only the conversation does not end and you do not have a polite rejoinder which does not hurt someone or cause them to feel insulted or affronted because you rejected their sympathy."

"Interesting comparison."

"Well, from my perspective, YOU know how much you have improved in these last months, but the outward appearance does not necessarily match in the inward progress. And, as you said, you really do look like you could keel over at any second. People just do not want to see anything further happen to you and most of these Arusians want to see your 'Happily Ever After.'"

The new Hero snorted and opened his eyes to look at his friend, "I guess I am a reverse Cinderella. A Cinderfella perhaps?"

Exchanging a wry glance, the two both chuckled at the comparison.

"Cinderfella. You realize I can never let you live this one down?"

The other man sighed, "Would bribery work?"

"Nope. This one's a doozy."

"Name your price," Keith grumbled.

"Any restrictions?"

"Just stay away from talking about how I am feeling, what I have eaten today, and we will call it good."

Hunk nodded. "Two things then. One: put the knights-be-damned patch on your arm."

A startled look met his pronouncement.

Hunk only raised his eyebrow and nodded toward the patch.

With a laugh at _his_ signature look, the Commander pushed up his left sleeve and then reached with his good had to place a patch ready for application on his outside left arm halfway between the elbow and shoulder. The Yellow Pilot winced inwardly to see how far the patch wrapped around his friend's arm. Perhaps wearing bulky clothing had less to do with feeling cold than Keith pretended.

After placing the patch, the commander reached over to place a napkin over his legs and then pick up one of the stuffed rolls on the plate and take a small, neat bite. He looked over at Hunk and waved at the plate, "More than I can eat in one sitting."

Pondering only a minute, Hunk moved his chair to the other side and picked up one of the rolls. The two sat in companionable silence, appreciating the landscape outside the windows, both ignoring the harsh scars carved through the land by both friendly and enemy machines and weapons. Agriculture came first and every hand worked to clear those lands first. Even though Arus' population had put aside and stored enough food for the devastation wrought by one of the sons of Doom, the sooner production began the better for everyone. Fresh food sustained the spirit better than preserved, and restoring the land helped repair some of the damage done by the latest, but certainly not last, invasion.

Hunk thought back over the last months of recovery and watched as tracts of land would appear to change overnight as though elves worked in secret to repair and reseed the land. "Rather than the Elves and the Shoemaker," he mused, "we have Elven Farmers." He could just picture the diminutive folk, stripping off their fancy clothes, and working with supernatural speed to remove wreckage from the ground, and prepare it for planting. Like cartoons of old, they would move at lightening speed while giggling and laughing at their version of play.

Letting out a sigh, the commander turned toward his friend. "I can guess your second request."

The yellow pilot looked closely at his fingernails and rubbed at a grease spot. "Oh?" He replied neutrally.

"The conversation I have ducked for the last several months."

"And which conversation would that be?"

"The one where you ask about the sentience of the lions."

No reply greeted the statement for several minutes.

"And would this conversation end in about two minutes when you deftly change the subject, remember a convenient meeting, or Cady comes running in the door with something she just has to do with her Dad right that second?"

Letting out a chuckle, the raven-haired man closed his eyes once more, basking in the rays of the late afternoon sun. "A little obvious, I have been then?"

"If by little you mean the ocean holds a little bit of water."

"Hmmmm."

"That is not an answer."

"No it is not. However, in all honesty, I am not up to this conversation right now. The damn medicine is beginning to kick in."

"And?"

Keith smiled at the tone of voice. It sounded just like a scolding school teacher, or father.

"And it a few more minutes, I will barely be able to focus much less give you the answers in a cohesive fashion."

Concerned laced Hunk's voice. "I do not remember those patches affecting you so deeply." 

"They did not until Gorma changed the formula. He is determined I will not push myself beyond a rigid and specific program and to that end, I must rest. In order to ensure I do, he added a sedative to a random amount of patches. Not every patch contains it, but he will not tell me which ones have them and which do not."

"So of course, you being the brilliant commander and king simply refuse to put them on until bullied."

Keith turned and opened eyes which had begun to dilate. "That about sums it up. You feel the same way Yoshi; no solider who has served as long as we can stand to feel impaired."

"True. Well, I will cut you slack THIS time. But the next time. . ." he let the threat hang in the air.

A floppy wave of a hand brushed off the brazen threat. "Uh, huh." A yawn prevented the next remark from emerging. "It wears off in 'bout three," Keith paused for another yawn and blinked hard, "hours."

Hunk did not have time to reply before Keith's head lolled back and his entire body relaxed into the chair. "Huh, Gorma is NOT kidding around with the sedative." Scratching his head, the yellow pilot reclined the chair so his friend would not awaken with a stiff neck. Looking around, he spotted an afghan on a foot stool and covered Keith with it. It disturbed Hunk to note Keith did not even twitch.

Taking the mostly empty plate, Tsuyoshi exited the room, dimming the lights as he left. He set an alarm to remind him to come back when Keith had woken and returned to the never ending repairs and reconstruction required in the aftermath of destruction.

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	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews and the follows! You would think I would better express how giddy I feel when a review or a follow arrives, so know that it always makes me bounce a bit in my chair and smile!

This will really focus on the relationship between Hunk and Keith. Allura will appear as she and Keith work on their relationship, trying to find a balance. Other characters may make cameos or appear through discussions.

Kleenex rating: 0. Chuckles expected: one or two.

An nope, I cannot tell a straight line story!

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Keith smiled in a rare moment of complete relaxation as he watched the children playing beside the lake. Cady waved to him to ensure he watched as she attempted to execute a spin before diving into the lake. Keith winced as she did not fully complete the turn sending a large splash of water forward as she clumsily entered the water.

Cady surfaced and looked toward her Dad, "Almost, that time Cady!" he called to her, giving her a thumb's up.

"It is nice to see one area where the other kids compete with the little bugger." Lance laughed as he bounced a child on his knee. "Right, mi amigo?" He addressed the child, "She really needs a few areas where Cady struggles, because no one can achieve perfection like her neurotic Daddy, right little man?"

The group laughed as Lance continued to berate Keith to the small boy, making the boy laugh and giggle by making funny faces and bouncing him.

More comments flew and Keith leaned back on his elbows, watching friends and family interact with laughter and joy.

"I do not care what the manual says! _I'm_ telling you to inverse the damn chip before installing it."

Keith looked over at Tsuyoshi in confusion. He appeared to laugh with the rest, but the words did not fit.

"Because some gods-be-damned idiot did not understand the blueprints and manufactured the insert wrong."

Keith shook his head to try and clear it, but found the scene in front of him looking blurry as though he looked through oil sheen.

"Just stop arguing and do what you are told."

Keith closed his eyes, and the scene starting dissolving, the laughter growing faint.

"I outrank you soldier, now suck it up. Garrett out."

Reluctantly, the ebony haired man opened his eyes, blinking several times to clear his sight. He heard someone moving around and as he moved from the sleeping world to the waking one, heard muttering from his friend about people who needed to return to the womb and this time request some brains to go with their brawn.

Smiling at the descriptions Yoshi gave to each of the people who had complained, he winced as he heard his friend answer the com with a harsh "What now!"

Tuning out the conversation, the King of Arus closed his eyes, and slowly tensed and relaxed each muscle in effort to start his blood flowing again. As his awareness grew, Keith realized someone had covered him with a blanket and lowered the chair to a reclining position. The scent of coffee drifted toward him, causing the man to open his eyes and look over in appreciation. A carafe with two cups waited on the table along with some small savory pastries. Moving his right hand slightly, Keith pressed the button to slowly raise the recliner to an upright position. As he did so, a hand reached over to fill both coffee cups and thunk down again as Yoshi swore into his com.

"You be-dammed idiot! Did you deliberately run into trees in your youth until the brains all leaked out? I would ask if your parents dropped you on your head, but I met them and I could not insult your mother like that. Did I not just specifically say to IGNORE THE FUCKING MANUEL? Did I stutter?" Yoshi paused, listening to the reply and roughly shoved one of the two mugs into Keith's hands and paced around again.

"Well pull the insert and check for damage, of course – don't add moron on top of idiot to your behavior." Another pause, "Then replaced the whole dammed unit. I don't care if you miss dinner, breakfast, and then next two days of sleep. Just get it done and don't fuck it up again. Do I make myself perfectly clear? Do not follow the manual, follow my damned easy instructions and save us all a lot of grief. Garrett out."

Tucking the communicator into his pocket, the large man turned back toward his commander in the chair looking groggily bemused. Running his fingers through his hair, he picked up his mug and took a large gulp. "I tell you cap, these kids just do not know how to listen! Damn kid put the bloody piece in backwards and caused a shortage in the whole bloody system. If he did not fry the damn thing it should only take a couple hours to fix, and if he fried it, there will be hell to pay. I just spent two days putting the bitch together and in two minutes the idiot may have ruined it."

Keith had to hide his smile behind a drink of the coffee as his friend worked himself into a fine show of temper. Yoshi stomped over to the table and shoved a pastry into Keith's hands while taking a second for himself. He took a large angry bite washing it down with a swallow of coffee, then seemed to forget he held the pastry and started using it as a pointing device.

"I tell some of those kids, 'Do it thusly,' but do they listen? Noooo, they have to talk about the bloody be damned manuals." His voice rose to a whiny tone, "But Lieutenant, the manual says. . . Like I have not a) read the manual, b) pronounced it shit, and c) written my own procedures? The brain-damaged cro-magnons who wrote those steaming pile of kaka had no friggin' clue about engineering or design. Over educated, pompus ass-holes who cannot tell a spanner wrench from a screwdriver." Hunk paused and looked over at his friend, "And then there is YOU! First of all, take a bite before I lose my temper and second of all – dodging every conversation for the last two damned months! Leaving me to stew and try to figure out the bitch of a puzzle on my own whilst you sat there with the answers. So do not think you are off the hook this time, oh most glorious king and commander. You owe me answers and by the forty little gods you are going to give them to me! Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

Keith could not help himself any longer and started laughing. He tried to hold it in behind his coffee mug, but the sheer indignation in his friend's voice overrode any control he had. After a minute, he gained enough control to smile serenely at his friends glare and take a large bite from the pastry he held, surprisingly still warm and filled with cheese and greens. The he pointed to his very full mouth and shrugged at not being able to answer the other man's question.

Tsuyoshi blinked a few times and then looked at the sadly mangled pastry still in his hand and smiled. Taking a large bite of his own, he shook his head as his own temper tantrum. The two men looked at each other and both laughed long and loud.

Gesturing to the other chair, the commander invited his friend to join him. The two did not speak but sat enjoying the sunset with their coffee and rolls. Without a word, the yellow pilot bullied his companion into eating three rolls and having two cups of coffee. As they finished eating, the two sat in companionable silence for several minutes.

"When we arrived on this planet, chased by Drules, our transportation lost, communications with Garrison cut-off, exhausted from captivity, escaping to a planet with no discernable population, no known food source, and crash landing in the middle of a barren landscape. . . I could not focus on anything but our survival and finding a way home. I kept Cady tucked in the back of my mind and deliberately pushed away any desperation I felt. Garrison would soon find out about our capture or destruction when the last beacon we sent reached friendly territory and I could not think about what they would tell her and my family." Keith spoke idly, without looking at his friend.

"The Drules came in hot on our tails and it would only be a matter of time before they either recaptured valuable Garrison officers or removed a potential threat. When the natives attacked and Lance took a spear to the leg and Sven to the arm, the chance of ever finding a way to contact Garrison seemed astronomically small. We had no supplies save the little we scrounged from the Drule ship before they destroyed it completely, no indication of where to go, in hostile territory with injured men, survival became everything. We needed to move just a few more klicks. A few more meters. Just one more step.

"When Darrel spotted the castle on the horizon, I gambled our lives it would mean survival. We had no choice. Lance could barely walk, and Sven had started running a fever. It took us days to make the journey and I feared for both Sven and Lance. No medicine to combat infection, no rest to let Lance recover. No knowledge of native plants which could heal." He shook his head to clear the pictures of his friends fading before his eyes.

"Then we entered the castle and the doors slammed shut behind us.

"Looking up, we saw a formally dressed man holding a candle – a candle! In that moment, I realized and accepted the fact this planet would become my life work. The castle still lived, and if the castle lived, then perhaps our mission could succeed.

"Coran had seen us coming, and sent word to the people to guide us to the castle. They put up the blocks which directed us on the path here, but also to the streams and nut trees which sustained us on the journey. I could not feel any anger or resentment toward those people for not helping more; they had too much fear to help us in any other way and nothing else with which to help.

"Then came the lions." The story paused as Keith looked out the window, trying to find the words to explain to his friend the beginning.

The yellow pilot refilled their coffee mugs and quickly sent a request for a fresh pot with some more "small bites" as Magda called them.

Keith absently sipped his coffee for a few minutes before starting his recitation again. "In the academy, we five started as friends, grew together as comrades, and then Cady transformed us into a family. My life had everything and more. Friends who had become family, a good career, and my daughter.

"When I stepped into Black's cockpit, something in me finally knew my destiny in life. Not only my destiny, but Cady's, and our family's. The reason the lions accepted us as their pilots and the reason Voltron continued to grow stronger and more certain; even as first, Cossak, then Lotor brought ever more destruction to bear on Arus; was our bond as a family. Voltron draws strength from his pilots, and for the first time, we brought something never before experienced by him – an unshakable bond between the pilots based on our bond as brothers, friends, and comrades which had grown to something more. For we had gone from stepping to defend our brothers-in-arms to fighting over who would stand in front to take the first hit. There had been other teams, other family lineages who piloted Votron, but that choice to become family, that little something. . . well . . . more; gave us the edge.

"In the months that followed, we fought, built, planned, and more. You and Darrel went flat out constantly with the physical rebuilding of defenses, the castle, and equipment. Sven and Lance went out constantly on foraging missions, trainings, and finding the people hidden in the caves. There was never enough sleep, never enough food, or time. On top of that, we needed to train people to run Castle Control, but that would take time and resources we did not have.

"I started doing more of the night patrols because Black had the longest power supply and the best chance of surviving long enough for the rest of you to come in case of attack. But something started happening. Rather than feeling drained after these flights, I began to feel rejuvenated. The nights became filled with possibilities and peace. In the quiet, I began to see Arus as it could become.

"I started talking out loud to Black about the problems of the day, of my stresses and of our triumphs. When I flew, it felt like someone flew with me offering support and reassurance. For a time I thought I was going crazy, suffering from sleep deprivation, lack of food, and from the injuries we all sustained. Hell, I do not think for the first year we had a time where one of us did not fly without some sort of break, sprain, or other injury." Keith smiled, "Remember the chart Lance made up of trying to predict who would be hurt the worst first? Each scenario crazier than the last?"

The other man nodded as they both remembered the color coded chart Lance had concocted. Yellow stood for 'Why are you crying about a pressure mark;' blue for "Shake it off man, tis only a flesh wound;" green for "tis but a scratch;" red for 'you lopped my arm off!", and purple for 'All right, we'll call it a draw'. He started laughing, "I loved it when he actually started a betting pool with the castle help as more people started arriving. I think Sven and Lance ran neck and neck for recklessness and injuries for a long time. They collected a rather large amount of sympathy those first few months."

Keith grinned, absently taking a bite from the roll Hunk put in his hand, washing it down with coffee. "Contrary to popular belief, I think I had the fewest injuries. Hell, even you and Darrell started collecting all those stars."

Tsuyoshi grunted, "Well, you DO have the most fire power in that lion of yours. And that god-like mantle granting you semi-divinity. We mere mortals just could not keep the pace." The smile faded, "Until that maniac arrived."

"Hnnnn," the dark haired man rubbed his chest where he carried the first scar Lotor had given him. The tabloids had spread the story Keith had accepted Lotor's single combat challenge. Lotor had used it as a ruse to draw Keith away from his lion and leave the castle and princess unprotected. The truth did not make a good story.

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Lotor crouched behind one of the ruined buildings on the outskirts of Aral, not completely confident in the invisibility spell Haggar cast on him. His first forays against the Voltron Force had ended with his retreat. Zarkon had read him the riot act upon his return. Lotor sneered at the thought. Everyone thought him cowed and beneath Zarkon's thumb, but he actually held the tyrant in contempt.

Narrowing his eyes, he watched the scene in front of him. Two of the Voltron pilots worked with the people of the city, using their lions as construction equipment to move large amounts of rubble, making room for new construction. The Black lion made periodic sweeps over the town. He knew the lion patrolled the area around the castle and town, but Lotor could find no discernable pattern to the flight. He grudgingly admired the pilot for the ability to leave no pattern he could exploit for an attack.

The yellow and green lions had yet to make an appearance, but Lotor had watched how quickly they could launch when needed. He assumed the other pilots worked in other sites or at the castle, but assumptions made for poor plans and he would not rely upon them.

As Lotor watched, the red lion moved to a clearing and launched into the air. Within minutes, the Black Lion landed. He watched the lion sink into a crouched position. After a few minutes, a hatch opened in the top of the lion and the dark haired pilot emerged, dropped a ladder to the ground, and climbed down to the ground. The man removed his helmet, tucked in under his arm, and started heading toward the center of activity in the town.

Lotor smiled at this unexpected opportunity, and stood to intercept the man.

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"Black Lion to Red Lion."

"Red Lion here."

"Lance, I need a break.

"Our all mighty commander who does not need to sleep or eat and watches over us like a godling needs a _break_?"

"Lance. . ." his commander growled.

"Okay, okay. Do not get your boxers in a knot. Give me five."

"Thanks. Black Lion out."

"Red Lion clear."

Keith smiled. Lance would never change and would always skirt the edges of insubordination. Sighing, the man rolled his neck to relieve the stiffness from his long patrol. He looked forward to the chance to stretch his legs and have lunch. On cue, his stomach growled in protest of the long patrol.

Turning toward Aral, he kept alert for any sign of attacks from Lotor. Taking a last loop to the west, he checked in with the castle.

"Cap, I have launched. Take your break."

"Acknowledged." He lets out a sigh, "Thanks, Lance. Appreciate it."

"Well, any excuse to hang with my kitty."

"Clear skies. Black lion, out."

"Red Lion, clear."

Circling around Aral once, Keith landed in one of the clearings large enough for his lion. He ran through the shut down sequence, then leaned his head back for a minute against the back of the chair. Momentarily he considered just sleeping, but protests from his stomach made it clear that he could not skip another meal. With a last thought for some sleep, he exited the crouching lion. He paused to take off his helmet, tuck it under his arm and headed toward the center of the town where he knew a meal waited for him.

One of the town people waved to him as they walked toward a likely tree for harvest. Keith waved back, continuing onward, his mind reviewing the remainder of the week's plans.

Hearing the sound of running foot steps, the black lion pilot paused and tensed. Running feet rarely meant good news. Looking around, he could did not spot anyone other than the group of men prepping the tree for chopping. Blaster in hand, he looked around again for the source of the running feet. Out of the corner of the eye, the man caught sight of a glow. Jumping back instinctively, he fired toward the glow, only to see the shot ricochet off and into the trees.

He heard himself scream as searing pain erupted across his chest and abdomen. Looking down, he saw blood streaming down from a large slash running diagonally from his right shoulder to his left hip. Time slowed as he looked up at the sound of laughter. A voice spoke, but the words did not register as he felt the blaster slip from his grasp toward the ground. Keith wondered what had happened and how he could remain standing, only to realize his body had fallen to its knees. Pain spread outward and grey sparkles danced at the center of his vision. The pilot realized he had not stopped screaming. It felt like a thousand years since the assault. His vision closed down to a pinprick, then mercifully, blackness closed around him.

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Trek watched as the Black Lion came in for a landing. He and three other men had come to the clearing to harvest a tree. They would chop the tree into firewood, cording and stacking it to cure against the coming winter. He sighed as he looked at the behemoth they had selected, looking forward to the time when they no longer needed to burn wood for warmth. Even more than that, he looked forward to the time when they did not need to chop down trees by hand!

Laughing with the men, he waived at the captain as they started prepping the tree. A few seconds later, he heard a blood curdling scream. Looking up, the men watched in horror as the captain fell to his knees, blood streaming from a great gash in his chest. Trek found himself running at full tilt toward the man, axe held to attack. His friends followed behind wielding clubs and axes searching for the enemy.

Nothing, Trek saw nothing but a glow near the captain. In horror, he watched it raise as to strike the captain again. Yelling, he paused to take a two handed grip on his axe and throw it at whatever had attacked the captain.

Something, _someone_ , blocked the axe and sent it bouncing to the ground, but the strange glow went with it. Trek heard laughter as he and his friends set up a perimeter around the Black Lion Pilot, who had fallen to the ground, unconscious.

"Save him, if you can!"

The voice came from somewhere behind the group, and they heard the sound of running feet fading into the distance.

"Gralin went for help. Perhaps we can staunch the bleeding."

The men nodded, and quickly tore their shirts for impromptu bandages, the hands of four men trying to hold the life of their defender.

Time slowed. Trek could hear the pounding of his heart and hear the blood rushing in his ears. Blood pooled under his fingers and ran in rivulets down to the grass. It spread among the roots, spilling from blade to blade, clinging for a moment before pushing outward in a widening spill.

Centuries, or perhaps eons later, he heard on of the precious few air cars remaining to Arus land nearby.

The woodsman found themselves shoved aside as medical professionals worked to save the life of their Captain. They stood in a semi-circle, forgotten as blood congealed and dried on their hands and clothing.

Trek did not know how long they stood watching as the medical personnel put in an IV into the captain, pressure bandages on his chest and abdomen, and injected various substances into the IV line. They carefully moved the captain to a gurney, and carried him to the waiting air car. One man paused momentarily in front of the men. "You may have just saved the captain. On his behalf, thank you."

Before anyone could respond, the man ran to the car, which took off even before he shut the door or put on a seat belt. As Trek watched the car leave, he prayed to the God and Goddess Above to keep the Captain safe, and to heal his injuries.

Without speaking, Trek retrieved his axe and walked back to the tree to prepare it for harvest. After all, winter approached quickly.

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	3. Chapter 3

I am so glad people are enjoying this! The story is coming, albeit a bit slowly.

Thank you so much for the reviews. Hunk/Tsuyo/Yoshi is such a fun character. Much more depth to him than I originally thought. It is interesting how the story of the lions has started to develop. Once again, a twist and turn not expected from the characters.

If I have not yet responded to a review or comment, working on it! Just started a new job, and things have been rather hectic around here. So, stick with me, I promise a posting every couple weeks. Hopefully.

Another fun flash back here.

Lastly, any mistakes are my own sans beta reader.

…..

Chapter 3

Keith shook his head, clearing the memory and pushed away the phantom pain from the long ago slash to his chest. "Then that maniac decided _I_ was the sole reason Allura refused his O so charming and magnificent self. If I could have fried that bastard at any point, I would have thrown a celebration and danced on his grave."

Hunk laughed, "Grave, nothing, I would have danced on his still warm body and handed out bits as souvenirs. I do not know why people think that following a code of conduct or honor means leaving your enemy alive. That bitch of a witch pulled his ass out of more fires than I could count, literally. How many times did she transport him just as one of us nearly captured him or destroyed his plane? Say, that reminds me, ever wonder how many of those bat winged pieces of junk Zarkon purchased for Lotor? I swear we destroyed at least one every week."

"No idea. But enough to keep every family on Arus fed for a year!"

"Ok, Cap. You awake?"

Keith looked at Yoshi warily, "Awake enough."

"Excellent, than you can talk and do some stretches with me. After that moron, I feel wound tighter than a size 12 screw in a size 14 hole."

Setting down his coffee, Keith accepted his friends hand to pull him out of the chair, wincing as his sleep-tightened muscles protested. "Follow or lead?"

"Follow, because you talk and lead better."

Nodding, Keith moved to a clear spot in front of the darkening windows. While he had napped and then eaten with Hunk, the day had moved into twilight. Pausing, with his head bent, Keith took a moment to center himself and his thoughts, taking deep cleansing breaths, closing his eyes and letting his body start to move. After a minute, he let the words flow in time to the movement of his body.

"Here then, the tale as told to me from those who came before.

"From days of long ago, comes a legend. The legend of a powerful symbol of those who could not defend themselves. A champion who stood for light and goodness. Who stood between the people and those who would enslave them. Imbued with the power of not only technology but of the spirit world. Sacrifices asked and given. Lives shortened and extended. Disparate parts that build to a whole greater than the sum of the parts.

"This then is Voltron. Forged in a time of war by a people who sought only peace. Created as the ultimate destroyer and avenger and balanced by five companions. In the time of the first Drule Conquest, when the kingdoms had not yet shattered into many, the Betrayer came to Arus. The Betrayer descended from the sky in a ship never before seen. One that could move not only between the planets of the solar system, but move amidst the starts themselves. The Betrayer offered teaching to the young people of the planet asking little in return, only a chance to study with the sages and the wisdom holders.

"The people had long before left war behind, and eagerly accepted the teachings of the Betrayer. For many long years, the Betrayer taught the scientists and travelled the world, learning from the sages and the wisdom holders. Until one day, the Betrayer asked the leaders to gather for an announcement. The leaders of the five kingdoms came as requested, bringing their children and spouses. They gathered in the court yard of the fifth kingdom, all but the wife and unborn child of the second kingdom whose time drew close. The Betrayer stood on the podium, and as the sun drew to its zenith, ships began to darken the sky. Ship after ship entered the atmosphere and landed near the largest towns and cities. The Betrayer smiled as the leaders began to look confused and concern. 'Thank you,' began the Betrayer, 'because of your hard work and dedication, your planet can now supply my people with their needs.' The Betrayer smiled and all in the courtyard quailed, for it held nothing but malice. 'Your leadership and dedication has brought this planet to fruition years ahead of schedule. Let me now reward that service.'

"With those words, the ships above fired into the heart of the crowd. A moment of light, and the leadership of Arus was no more. Only dark stains on the ground where once stood the best minds of the planet stood. The Betrayer barked a command, and the harvesting of the planet began. Natural resources, food stores, and even the people themselves filled the bellies of the ships. Resistance in any form had only one punishment. By the end of the day, dark stains, the shadows of a once proud people, dotted the planet in every city, town, and hamlet.

"As evening came, a quiet fell over the land. No sounds of animals. No cries of children. No laughter. No songs.

"The ships, laden with the wealth of the world rose from the earth, clumsy with the spoils of their reaping, rose higher until they left the world behind and disappeared into the blackness of space."

Keith gasped and nearly fell as his back convulsed. Breath stolen, he could do nothing.

…

Tsuyoshi tried to keep following Keith's movements, but watching his friend move and listening to the story distracted him. He had never heard anything like the story Keith told, nor had anything similar shown up in the histories of the planet. Hunk did not believe the story had survived in oral tradition, not with the devastated planet and people Zarkon had left. What Zarkon did not take, that bloody witch had; harvesting anyone with one once of talent or intelligence. She had determined to take anyone of learning and obliterate the planet's past. Her teams had searched out any libraries; electronic, physical, or mental to shred, erase, or eliminate from existence. It had nearly worked.

Shaking his head at the wanderings, he continued to follow the story, movements slowing and stopping as he really watched Keith move. Before the latest attack from Lotor, watching the man in a routine left Tsuyo amazed at the fluidity of the movements. He had watched Keith and Cady many times after they had worked with the group. Both not only had natural talent from generations of practitioners of martial arts, but had started practicing from before they could remember. Again, Tsuyo had to confront the evidence of just how much Keith had sacrificed. Even now, after months of therapy, physical and mental, Tsuyo could not reconcile the man before him with his friend from before. His movements held small hesitations as the body could not move to the extent it had before. It made the dance stilted, and slightly disjoined. The mechanic also noticed how quickly Keith lost his breath. The words of his story still moved in time with his body, but the transitions became slower and the new king began to visibly struggle to complete each movement. Just as Tsuyoshi opened his mouth to suggest a break, Keith's eyes flew open as he staggered and gasped.

Only a step away, the man reached forward, just as his friend fell to one knee, panting, eyes tearing in pain. "Where?" His friend did not respond, so Hunk repeated, "Where, Keith? Where does it hurt? C'mon, man, I cannot help if you do not tell." He eased Keith to the floor where the captain curled onto his right side, both arms braced to hold his torso off the ground. "Keith, can you hear me? Where does it hurt?" Shaking his head, he keyed the code Gorma had given him in case of an emergency with the commander.

"Where and what?"

"Solar, and I do not know. Doing some meditation exercises, when he gasped and basically collapsed. He does not seem capable of answering right now."

"Left arm?"

"No, earlier though, he is currently supporting his body with his arms."

"Back then." Hunk could hear Gorma moving around and the sound of a door opening and closing and footsteps hurried, but not running. "Can you ease him onto his side, with his knees bent? Head supported."

The mechanic looked around the room and quickly grabbed a cushion from one of the chairs. "Ok, my friend, lie down, Gorma is on his way."

Keith allowed himself to be eased down onto the cushion, eyes closing, breathing quick breaths in and out of his nose, jaw clamped together, hands fisted against his chest, his whole body tense. Tsuyoshi knelt behind his friend, feeling helpless at the obvious agony. He continued to try and engage Keith, talking about nonsense in an effort to distract. Two minutes later, Gorma walked into the room. Hunk scooted back, as the doctor quickly knelt behind his king, raised the sweater. Counting vertebrae, he quickly found the spot, and pressed in injector into Keith's back and lowered the sweater back into place, but not before Hunk saw the signs of repeated injections. Within ten seconds, the man's entire body began to relax. As Gorma stood, and walked to talk into his communicator, Tsuyoshi watched as bit by bit, the extreme tenseness left. Finally, the king sighed and rolled onto his back, hands coming to rest on his chest. Cracking open one eye, he looked at the man kneeling close by, "Well, that was fun."

"Yep. Although I like the idea of a good whisky, some loud music, and something to tinker with better."

Keith let out a snort, and closed his eye again, sighing. "Keep the scotch, but I'll take a good port, and a book."

"A box of chocolates from Earth."

"Real, honest to God fresh picked from the central continent, flash preserved, and then freshly ground, coffee."

"Oh, man, real coffee. With a real Danish made from fresh apples. One of the antique varieties. Just out of the oven. Hey! Remember that place?"

"Oh, yes, Maddie's."

"Maddie's. What that woman can do in her oven."

Both men paused, thinking of the mornings sitting with Cady in a highchair eating whatever Maddie had decided to give them that morning.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Uncharacteristically quiet, the five men stumbled into their normal post Chapel spot at Maddie's. Keith put a happily cooing Cady in the highchair waiting for her, then flopped gracelessly into the chair next to her, propping one hand on a fist, eyes blinking heavily. Lance sat with his head pillowed on his arms, while Sven had turned his chair to lean his head back against the wall. Pidge mirrored Keith across from him, while Hunk sat straight in his chair blinking heavily.

Cady took the wooden spoon on her tray and started banging happily. None of the men so much as twitched. Sounds suspiciously like snores emanated from Lance with echoes coming from Sven. Keith started as he felt a hand on his arm as his head started to fall forward off his fist. Blearily he looked up to see a grinning Maddie next to the table.

"Sure, and you five look like the morning after a good party."

Keith blinked hard, "Teething."

"And Finals," chimed in Pidge.

"And Lance's attempt at cooking," Hunk added.

Maddie chuckled as the maligned party snored in response. "Sure and you boys take on too much. You just sit here a bit while this young lady and I go whip up some breakfast and find my best coffee and a frozen bagel."

"Wait. What? Bagel?" Keith shook his head trying to make the connection.

"Yes, bagel. Perfect for teething babies. Cold on the gums, chewy, and only small pieces come off at once, so no worries about choking. Long, cold carrots work too."

"But. . ."

"Oh hush. I birthed me five babes. Now, put your head down, and we are going to go cook breakfast for your daddy and uncles, right precious?" Maddie reached down and lifted Cady out of the high chair. "Come with Auntie Maddie and let's go make a mess and sing lots of silly songs. 'Way up in the sky, the big birdies fly while down in the nest, the baby birds rest. With a wing on the left'…" the song faded as Maddie walked with Cady toward the kitchen at the back of the coffee shop.

Keith looked bemusedly at the door, "I am not sure what just happened."

Hunk lay his head down on the table, "Don't know. Don't care. Resting now."

Darrell just scooched down in his chair, letting his head rest against the top rung. "Breakfast. Five minutes of eyes closed."

Looking at his dozing friends and back at the kitchen Keith shrugged and pillowed his head on his arms. The next thing he knew, delicious smells wafted up to his nose and baby babble filled his ears. Propping himself up on his arms, he looked to see the table covered with family style, serve yourself breakfast of eggs, ham, and pancakes. Hunk had already filled a plate and dug in while Sven and Lance looked blearily up from their naps. Cady sat in her high chair, a small plate in front of her with finger sized pieces of the same breakfast. She happily squished the eggs between her fingers before chortling and stuffing the mess into her mouth. Her dad smiled and shook his head, before serving himself some breakfast. Pouring vanilla flavored maple syrup and warmed butter on his pancakes, he marveled at the amazing people in his life.

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Note: Yes, I did use frozen bagels not only for my child but for my "nieces" as well. The carrots also work great.

The song (which has hand and arm gestures):

Way up in the sky;

The big birdies fly.

While down in the nest;

The baby birds rest.

With a wing on the left.

And a wing on the right.

The baby birds sleep,

All through the night.

The big sun comes up,

The dew goes away.

Good morning, good morning,

The little birds say!


	4. Chapter 4

Again, thanks for all the reviews!

As per normal, my idea of what would happened, and the character's ideas did not match. So, this then, is _their_ story.

Any errors are my own. If there is something egregious, let me know.

I admit, Hunk is my not-so-secret favorite… at least in this version of the universe!

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Chapter 4

"So, Cap. While you are all receptive and answering questions, where did you read that story? I have never run across anything like it when researching the lions."

Keith tried to raise his arms above his shoulders, winced and lowered his hands to rest with fingers interlocked over his stomach. "No, you wouldn't. You know how, in ancient Earth history, we have gaps in our knowledge because something was part of everyday knowledge and not written down?"

"Like how to drag huge block of granite across the desert and put them together in such a way as no gap existed?"

"Hmm. Exactly. It was a tale that "everyone" knew. Someone's granny would tell it in the evenings before bed. A story teller would end an evening of entertainment with the tale and it never occurred to anyone to write down the tale."

"Right right. Got it. But, oh master of the oblique sideways statement that dodges the question; HOW do YOU know?"

The young king lay quiet so long, Tsuyo began to wonder if he had fallen asleep. "Keith?"

"Help me up. Allura will be arriving soon, and it is best if I am not on the ground when she arrives."

The larger man held out a hand and pulled his friend to a sitting position. He watched as Keith swayed momentarily before letting his breath out on a sigh. "Ok, step 2." Tsuyo stood and waited while his friend bent his knees and held out a shaking hand to be pulled upward. Swaying once again, the man closed his eyes until gaining his balance and letting go of Yoshi's hand. With slow, unsteady steps, he moved back to the chair he had left earlier and gingerly sat down. "Doc?"

Dr. Gorma moved over to the chair and picked up Keith's left arm and began manipulating the hand and shoulder. When Keith's breath hissed out as he raised the arm sideways, he paused before lowing the arm again. "Forward ok?"

"Hmm."

"Scale?"

A longish pause followed the question. "Just get me through the next fifteen?"

"Then you report to Kayla."

"Fine," came the mulish response, "Deal."

Gorma smiled and walked over to his bag, pulling out an injector. Walking back over, Keith tipped his head to the side, allowing the doctor easy access to the vein. Tsuyo watched in fascination at the exchange. As Gorma walked back to his back to return the injector, the yellow pilot watched as Keith suddenly looked better. He sat up a little straighter and when he opened his eyes, they looked brighter and pain free.

"What the hell did he just give you?"

Keith raised and lowered his shoulders and then rotated his neck around, "A concoction based on new research with Obreck. Gorma has managed to discover more about Agappon's effects and properties in the last few months than the monks have learned in the last thousand years. Part of that is outside eyes but more because Gorma is a flat out genius in research."

"Not a genius. Merely stubborn, persistent, and asking the right questions at the right time."

"And overly modest," the king continued smoothly. "At any rate, they found a concoction that contains some Agappon which can give a temporary boost which they can tailor to last for anywhere from 30 minutes several hours without too many side effects."

Tsuyo snapped his fingers, "That's how you made it through the ceremony. I wondered at how well you looked compared to the next day."

Keith nodded, "Exactly. I needed to function enough to finish the investure process without keeling over, and the council would not be delayed any longer. So Gorma and the Obreckians put their heads together and came up with the concoction. They have since refined it further, since the first time, had some. . . unanticipated effects."

Gorma snorted, "Nothing like scaring your new bride. ."

"Doctor." Keith did not say anything further, but exchanged a heated look with the doctor before Gorma nodded slightly and Keith inclined his head. "As I was saying, they have refined the concoction to allow a temporary boost. Essentially, it grants a false sense of well-being."

"So, why do you. . ."

Before Tsuyo could finish his sentence, the door to the Solar opened and Allura came rushing in the room. "Keith! Are you ok? They told me Gorma rushed out of the clinic."

If Yoshi had not been watching closely, he would have missed the very brief tightening of his friend's jaw before he stood up and turned toward his wife. "Everything's fine, Allura, just a minor flare. Nothing to worry you." He held out his hands, and she took them, examining his face closely, "Are you sure?"

Nodding, Keith pulled her toward the corner of the room and the pair started talking in low tones.

Turning his back to give the couple the illusion of privacy, he joined Gorma. "So, if I ask questions, are you going to dodge them as well as our young monarch over there?" he asked with a head gesture toward the man in question.

Gorma shrugged. "Ask your questions, and I will give you what answers I may."

"Soooooo," the yellow pilot drawled to gather his thoughts in order, "I noticed when you gave our fearless leader the first injection his back showed evidence of multiple injections at the site. I also know you have started forcing sleep on him, and there is a definite undercurrent of communication I can guess at. For example, I am guessing the deal you made obliquely before giving him the Agappon injection had something to do with therapy that he either feels he does not need or does not want to add more to his plate. I also surmise you are struggling to have him eat enough calories or stay engaged enough to participate more fully in his own recovery. I also am guessing you are keeping these things close to the chest because the idiot over there has ordered you to on basis of doctor-patient confidentiality." He paused and looked at Gorma, "Need I go on?"

Gorma shook his head and closed his eyes for a long minute.

"Allura! Just STOP!"

Both men looked over at the raised voice filled with obvious frustration. They saw the captain run a hand through his hair and take a deep breath. The room filled with tension as the four people stood unmoving, waiting to see where the drama would go. Letting out his breath, Keith leaned back against the wall and opened his arms. Allura leaned in, with both hands on her husband's chest, her head under his chin. Keith wrapped his arms around his wife and stood for a moment, before lowering his head to whisper in her ear.

The tension in the room dropped and both the doctor and the pilot let out breaths they did not realize they had held.

"I need to settle the king before the booster wears off. Come to my office in an hour and we will talk."

"Can do. I just need to check in with Saria."

The doctor nodded absently, and then picked up his bag. "Will you bring the king to the clinic when he finishes talking with the queen?"

"Great. Leave me with the impossible task. Thanks, doc." Tsuyo grumped.

"You just volunteered to become involved. Perhaps you can help me find how to help."

Nodding, the pilot turned to tidying up the room as the doctor left. Pulling out a data pad, he began scrolling through the notes and mails that had piled up in the last several hours, sitting in one of the comfortable chairs. After a few minutes, the door opened and closed, and he looked up to see his friend still leaning against the wall, eyes closed, and right hand massaging his forehead.

"Cap?"

With a heavy sigh, the king walked to sit in the chair next to the yellow pilot. "Gorma left you to babysit?"

"Nah, mostly to pick up behind you or hide the bodies."

Keith snorted and leaned his head back, "She means well, but . . ."

"But?"

Another sigh and the king closed his eyes, "It is very tiring, sometimes."

"Well, you did almost die. Several times."

"Tell me something new."

"Lance has been seen exiting Naeve's room at odd times."

"I said something _new_."

"Last panels in the solar plant went on-line today."

"Good. That was the last one needing restoration."

"Gorma has decided I volunteered to help and that I should escort you to the clinic."

"Volunteered, huh?"

"Evidentially."

"Fine. Whatever." Keith opened his eyes and stood. "C'mon then. This booster will not last much longer, and I may as well take advantage of an easier trip to Gorma."

"Lead the way, Cap."

"Update me on the status of Alania."

"Right then." The two walked out of the door and down the hallway. "You know they will be staying in the bunker for the winter. Well, one of the crèche nurses….."

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	5. Chapter 5

Thanks again for the reviews and follows. It tickles me pink!

Sometimes characters have more to say than we, as authors, originally think. In this case, Mikko Gorma decided he had more to say and so this scene developed. It did not go exactly as I had originally imagined!

Enjoy and feel free to critique or let me know your thoughts.

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Dr. Mikko Gorma sat in his office, with a glass of wine, contemplating the picture screen on the wall. He did not really see the picture, but watch the colors as the panel cycled through various pictures of his family and of Arus before the first Doom invasion and the rebuilt cities and restored countryside. He believed in never forgetting his family or Arus' past, but also in celebrating the present and the future. Odd how just four years ago, he had no hope of a future for the planet. Mikko believed it only a matter of time before Zarkon returned to finish what he had started ten years before. With the death or capture of so many of his family members, the doctor marked time until his own demise.

Then came those five young men. Boys in so many ways with their youthful energy and ability to play as hard as they fought and worked. Catherine had much to do with that.

Mikko took another drink, savoring the flavor that would be years in coming again. The latest attack had wiped out the vineyard where the grapes grew. Perhaps a small thing in the scheme of it all, but just one more item to add to the list of crimes by those crazed maniacs. Really, Arus had little to offer outside of the lions. The perfect fusion of magic, science, and people; the mighty robot defied copying. Oh, not for lack of trying nor for the amount of resources spent on research, but because of the secrets lost to Haggar and her reaping of our best and brightest minds. No one had given up the secret to her, preferring to rejoin the Goddess and God Above before their appointed time rather than give her the secrets of Voltron. Mikko raised a salute to those who sacrificed all to give Arus a chance. Giving himself a mental shake, the doctor returned to the matter at hand; the upcoming conversation with Commander Garrett.

He needed someone to shake up the king and move him onto a better road of recovery. The queen tried, but managed only to push the king further away. Mikko knew she acted out of concern, but also out of fear. For the first time in her life, something she had dreamed came to pass, and she did not know how to loosen her grip. Perhaps they had pushed the man too far too fast. The proclamation could have waited until he had recovered further. Instead, they had pushed him into something for which he had not prepared or could even anticipate. Mikko mentally kicked himself. Once again, they had not looked at the king's needs, only their own.

No wonder the recovery proceeded at a slug's pace.

Now he could only hope the yellow pilot could turn things around and help bring the king back fully.

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"Excellent, Vilius. I am pleased with how quickly you managed to repair the damage." Tsuyo peered closely at the replaced chip. "I am glad your fuck-up did not fry the whole board. Now, did you throw the error filled piece of shit manual into the recycle bin?"

"Yes, sir. I did, sir. I am very sorry, sir." The young mechanic looked at the ground, mortified that his hero had found fault. "It won't happen again, sir."

"No it won't, lad. You've learned a valuable lesson, engineers may have lofty ideals, but it is us grunts on the ground that transform their dreams into reality. Never forget that. Plus, manufacturing and manuals only take you so far. The rest comes from experience. That you will have in time. Now then. Go home. Have dinner with your mother. Go to my cupboard and take her one of the small sacks of sugar I put aside. I know how much your mother misses baking." The man shooed the other off with his hands. "I am done with you for today. Go!"

A broad smile crossed his face, "Sir, yes sir! My mam is really going to appreciate it, sir!"

"Whatever, I said go!"

Hunk watched the young man scamper off, but did not let the smile cross his face until the lad had left the repair bay at a trot, precious sack of sugar in his arms. There left a better mechanic than walked in the door that morning. Whistling, he put away the last of his tools, and then started down the hallway toward Gorma's office. Thankfully, he had not made a trip to the clinic in weeks. The clean-up phase had move into the tedious part, with much of the rebuilding needing to wait until the spring. The ground would freeze too hard to dig effectively, so the people would spend the winter prefabricating as many parts to use in rebuilding, everything from shelving to furniture, to some of the beams used in construction. They had rushed to build two manufacturing plants before the snows came, and although the people had managed to complete the shells of the buildings, the interiors had not started producing materials. It would require the remainder of the winter months to finish outfitting the inside and for the new machinery to arrive from Garrison. The people had hidden and saved as much as they could, but they had run out of time.

The pilot shook his head and brought his mind back to the meeting at hand. Surprised, he found himself outside of Gorma's office without any recollection of actually walking there. He hoped for a short meeting, Saria asked him to come home at a decent hour, "For once!" she said with hands on hips, and a scolding look on her face. "I would go to bed WITH my husband."

He entered after knocking and found Gorma sitting in front of a screen, a glass of something in his hand, a contemplative look on his face.

"Good evening, again, Lieutenant. Thank you for coming. Would you care for a glass of wine? I am taking the time to enjoy the bottle as the vineyard was razed during the invasion and it will take some years before it will become available again."

"That would be appreciated, Dr. Gorma. I have come to enjoy the Arusian vintages."

Mikko poured a very full glass and handed it to Tsuyoshi, "Mikko, please, Lieutenant. If we are to become co-conspirators, being on a first name basis makes it easier."

"Mikko, then. Tsuyo or Yoshi I answer to."

"Tsuyo." Mikko raised his glass in salute, and the pilot raised his in return, taking an appreciative sip. He leaned back in the chair, crossing his right ankle over his left knee and looked at the series of pictures crossing the screen.

"Saria has ordered me back at a decent hour tonight." He finally said after several minutes.

"We should be quick then. I would not want to bring Saria's, and by extension, Magda's wrath down upon you."

"Appreciated."

"Ok, I have a question. One I have been pondering. You said the Black Lion, for lack of a better word, anchored the King here and prevented him from crossing to the other side. You also indicated Catherine had some kind of communication with the lion and by extension her father. Finally, there was an indication that the lions have a tie to their pilots and to some extent the status of the lions is reflected in the health of the pilots."

"Yes, that sounds correct." 

"The reverse correlation is true then, the pilot will have some reflection of the status of the lions."

"To some extent, but from what I have pried out of Keith, a much lesser extent. The lines run more from pilots to lions in only a small fraction of the reverse. Why, I cannot tell you."

"Ok, to take a left turn as I process information, earlier I had the thought that we continue to make demands of the king without taking into consideration his needs, wants, or desires. I admit being caught up in the story of the romance and pushed hard for the Hero declaration. It occurs to me we presented this to him not long after his awakening, and he had not even had time for much recovery. Now that he has been crowned king, it seems we continue to demand more from him which is actively hindering his recovery. I sat down today and reviewed how many people have sent request for meetings, information, or other things to the king that could easily be handled by others. He has done a marvelous job of delegating, but there is not enough filtering happening to reduce his need to sort through what really needs his attention, and what does not." Gorma hesitated for a long moment before continuing. "The queen does not help. She has seen much in the way of loss and most of the people in her life have either died or been captured as slaves and never seen again. I know she has loved the king for years without ever thinking they ever had a chance as a couple. He had already a wife and child, which made him ineligible in the eyes of the law. For her, the declaration brought something into her life that before had only been a daydream. So she clings a little too tightly and does not always see what is before her. Always the king has supported her, but she does not see how he struggles now. She sees through eyes of love and has put blinders on to the reality of his condition."

"So Keith is already treading water and instead of throwing him a rope, Allura is walking out on the ice and Keith is having to not only keep himself up but her as well?"

"That is a very good analogy. She does not see, or perhaps does not _want_ to see just how the captain does not have the resources to continue as before." The doctor paused, "Tell me what _you_ see."

"I see a man who looked long and hard into the face of death and has not completely returned from the journey. I see a man who, physically, lost so much in such a short time, and his mind does not quite comprehend. I see man who struggles to provide what people keep demanding without the energy or desire to engage." Hunk paused to look at the screen showing the first of the new grass growing over a field devastated by a Doom attack and took another drink of the wine. "I think that is the biggest thing. He simply cannot seem to engage in the day to day demands of anything beyond survival. You should see him with Cady. It breaks my heart to watch them interact. Sparring together, pushing each other to go faster, slower, or different has always given me joy to watch. For a seven year old, she moves with such grace and coordination, sometimes it's hard to reconcile that with the fact she still trips over her own feet. Yet he cannot even come close to matching with her and turned her practice sessions over to Lance and Pidge for now. Last week, she landed a blow on him that put him down on the mat. I do not know who was the most surprised in the room, but I do know it left Keith stunned. On a blow from a seven year old. Even with the fact she has worked with all of us since, well, basically since she was born, mostly because we did not know any better. Since she came to many of our PT sessions, she just started copying us as soon as she could walk. But that is neither here nor there.

"The point is that there is no way that blow should have landed, much less sent him to the mat. It worries me doc. Cady did not know how to react, and it was painful watching Keith stand. He moved so slowly, even though he tried to smile and praise Cady, I could just see he was struggling. That is when he called Lance over to spar with her while he went to sit down on a bench. He moved like an invalid or a very old man. Slow and painfully.

"But, that is not the point. I have meandered far from where I started. The point is he seems to drift further from everyone daily. Keith has always been introspective, but lately I count it a victory to have more than ten words out of him at a time. And it's not like someone who has something eating at them. No, it more like . . . like . . . well almost like one of those holy people you read about who go for weeks or months without saying a word. Like they have something to contemplate beyond the physical world we inhabit.

"I guess the short of it is, I think he needs to be back in the air. We need to reconnect him with _this_ world. From the snippets he has let drop, there is some connection between Black, Arus and him. The longer he is away from it, the further he drifts. Ok, going to stop talking now and let you respond. Sometimes, once the words start coming from my mouth I do not know what will come out and sometimes they just don't stop. Really, really your turn now." The yellow pilot took another drink and offered a wan smile to the doctor.

"Medically, I can give you fifty-seven different reasons to keep the king out of the air," Mikko began slowly. "The blow Cady gave him? Cracked two ribs. It should never have happened." He paused and gathered his thoughts, "Ok, let me back up here. I am going to give you some information that, should anyone look in the right places, would be able to find. So if it ever comes up, let's pretend you found it on your own."

"Understood."

"Ok, then. No one, and I mean not a single person in the history of Obreck, survived after taking Agappon for as long as the king did. Some of them managed to survive a few days or even weeks, but their bodies just seemed to shut down. Organ after organ failed, and even with medical technology, they could not keep ahead of the cascading failure of not only the organs, but muscles, joints, every part of the body. In a few of the cases, the person survived long enough to tell the doctors to stop treatment because they just prolonged the inevitable. Agappon users pay an incredible price.

"One of the side effects seems to be decreased healing and brittle bones. The bones I can explain because while using the Agappon, it leaches minerals, vitamins, stored energy and more from every part of the body including bones. Until the body can regenerate the lost stores, the person will bruise easily, be subject to cracked or broken bones on minimal contact, sluffing skin, hair, and nails. So Cady's blow just happened to hit at the wrong angle, and the brittleness of his majesty's bones could not withstand the blow.

"This is the effects before Haggar's poison. We have not discovered all the long-term effects from that one yet. Not only the poison, but the treatment from the poison. Which we cannot separate from the effects of the Agappon. When you add all of it together, it becomes a great morass. Add into that a new marriage, a coronation, and people constantly going to him for advice, decisions, and more it is no wonder that the king is not thriving.

"I have pondered this a lot and feel responsible for pushing the king before he was ready. I think we keep pushing him further away, as we have both said. Going back to the lions. If you think that putting him back in the air would help reconnect him back to us, than I will find a way to make it happen. My primary concern is the brittle bones. Too much force on them can cause fractures, and he just does not have the resources to keep repairing damage. As it is, he does not eat, barely sleeps unless forced, and does not participate in his physical therapies enough. It all ties in together. He does not eat or sleep so he does not have any energy, so his body does not heal, so the therapies are harder than needed.

"Secondarily, I can give him regular doses of the injection you just saw, but that poses its own problems. Firstly, we do not know if the person can develop a dependence on the concoction, but more importantly, it affects the appetite. So another catch-22 situation. By giving him the injections, he is able to do more, focus, but conversely eats and sleeps even less."

Tsuyo grunted and looked at the picture screen, thoughts whirling. Neither man spoke for several minutes until the pilot gave himself a shake and turned to face the doctor fully. "Ok, his physical condition is crap, but his mental one is even worse. Anything we can do to help his mental condition threatens his physical one. Mikko, I do not think it is even a contest. Can you do something to support him in the air to protect him from damage? Or, at least horrific damage?"

The doctor slowly swirled the last of his wine before finishing it. "An exterior bracing system perhaps with some sort of shock absorption. Perhaps Lieutenant Darrell could talk with me and we could build something. You may be right. The mental needs to come first, and reconnecting with the world. Anything else?"

"I think we need to make him unavailable to the council and the general public. They are perfectly capable of dealing with the situations at hand. It's time to push them out of the nest and let them fly. Let Keith concentrate on himself and his family. I think also. . ." here he paused.

"Yes?" prompted Mikko.

"I think I need to have a very serious talk with Allura. And perhaps, you know someone who has been through a similar situation? Someone who can teach Allura how to be supportive rather than suppressive? I watched Keith wince today as Allura entered the room, and how he made a deal with you, probably that did not further his cause with his body in order to prevent a scene. Would that be a correct supposition?"

"Yee-sss," replied the doctor slowly. "Her Majesty, while not hysterical, did become rather . . . intense several times after an episode with the king. I had focused too much on his condition, and did not look deep enough into hers. I will take care of it from this end. I will also pull rank on the council. You are right. They are all adults and can solve their own problems. For the duration, the king is unavailable."

"We have a plan then. Send Darrell the specifications of what you need. I will pull whoever I need off of projects and have a prototype within a day. I think this is too important to wait."

"Agreed. Another glass?"

"No thanks, Mikko, another time. I am going to keep my promise to Saria and go to bed WITH her instead of sneaking in late."

Both men stood and looked at each other, "Mikko, Keith will recover from this, we just need to give him the right conditions to realize how much he has to look forward to."

The doctor held out his hand and the pilot gave it a quick shake. "Til tomorrow, then, Tsuyo."

Nodding, Tsuyo strode out the door to join his beloved Saria. Tomorrow would come soon enough.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	6. Chapter 6

And from left field. . . .

Enjoy the character who snuck in unexpectedly.

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Keith eased out of the bed he shared with Allura; his wife Allura! He had never expected to marry again, much less marry into becoming the co-ruler of an entire planet. Hell, just a few short months ago, he had not expected to live out the week. And yet he had lived. Slowly, he made his way over to the connecting door that led to his daughter's room. Cracking the door, he watched her sleep for long minutes illuminated by the star mobile Tsuyo had built for her years before. It seemed so long ago and so far from where they had come. In the beginning, the five of them had no clue how to care for "their" daughter and scrabbled to provide for her. Keith did not know how he could have managed on his own, his friends; his _brothers_ had made it possible. Everything they owned came second or third or fourth hand, but that had never mattered to Cady or her family. They shared so much laughter and joy.

A smile crossed his face as he remembered how she had won over the worst PT instructor on campus.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I do not know what to do! We all have the same PT at the same time, and the daycare does not open up early enough for us to drop off Cady. Everyone else we know either works at that time or has their own PT class to attend. I looked into hiring someone to come in for that time, but I simply do not have enough money to have someone come in at 4.30 before reveille."

"Chill, Keith. We will just have to take her with us. She has always watched us work out and practice at the dojo, so this will be just like this. We will bring along something so she can watch one of those educational videos and a basket of toys or she may just want to sleep in her stroller. We will take the back row and make it work."

"But Sergeant Bilkins. . ."

"Will just have to pull the stick out of his ass and deal. Look have we all bent over backwards over the last two years to make this work? I think they can cut us some slack this _once._ "

"I guess you are right, Lance, I just. . ."

"Need to chill? Yep. I agree. Say, wasn't there a red-head in Maths that. . .?"

"No. Just. No."

"Ok, mon ami, perhaps Sven or I should let her down gently."

"Oh is _that_ what you are calling it these days?"

Lance put a hand to his heart and stuck out his lower lip, "Oh. That hurt. Shot right in the middle."

Keith punched his friend in the arm. "Knock it off. You accomplished what you wanted. Ok, Cady will come with us in the morning."

Grinning, Lance rubbed his arm, "You knew I would win all along. You may have those Garrison people snowed, but I know who is the smartest, handsomest, and all around good guy!"

Keith rolled his eyes, and walked to sit down at his desk, pulling up his assignment due the next day. "Cady will be up from her nap soon, I have to finish this first. Go bug Pidge for a while."

Lance stuck his tongue out at his friend and headed to the door. Evidentially he had a red-headed beauty to let down easy.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Over the course of the next two weeks, the men followed Lance's plan. Cady seemed content to play with her toys, and watch her Dad and Uncles. Sometimes she would try and follow their workout, but mostly studied the men and women around her. On the start of the third week of PT, Cady woke up grumpy. She had gone to bed later than usual the previous night, and did not want to wake up and leave.

"No. No. No. No. No go." She crossed her arms in her crib and stuck out her lower lip.

Keith ran his hand through his hair, seeing the signs of a tantrum. Looking at the clock, he mentally swore and scooped Cady out of her crib. "Sorry, baby girl, we have to leave now or be late."

Sven stuck his head in the room, "Keith, hurry up, man, we are going to be late."

"We're coming. Someone is grumpy."

"No. DaDa. No. NO. NOOOOOO!"

Sven winced as the child's voice rose to a shriek normally only heard by dogs. "Hand her to me Keith, and catch up when you grab her things."

Nodding, Keith handed Cady over, and the rushed around stuffing a clean outfit in her diaper bag and finishing dressing himself for PT. He left the apartment less than a minute after the other four men, and caught up to them jogging toward the PT field. The managed to arrive and find their spots just moments before the start of class. Parking Cady next to them, Sven put out her sippy cup while Hunk dumped some cereal on her tray.

The five men fell into line just as the Drill Sergeant stepped into his place. "Atten-shun!"

The cadets snapped to attention and all conversations ceased. To Keith's horror, Cady chose that moment to have a temper tantrum.

He watched as the sippy cup went flying off the tray followed by the cereal, "NO! NO NO NO NO NO! OUT! OUT OUT!"

Keith swallowed hard as the quiet of the field became wary and watchful as Sergeant Bilkins stalked to the back of the class and stood in front of Cady's stroller, watching her push on the tray and trying to take off the straps so she could leave the stroller.

"And what, pray tell, HAVE WE HERE?"

Cady paused in her demands as the sergeant yelled at the top of his lungs. She studied him a moment, then took a deep breath. "OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUT!" She held up her hands and her lower lip quivered.

Closing his eyes, Keith waited for the other shoe to drop. He opened his mouth and began to speak, "Sir, she. . ."

"Quiet, cadet."

Keith shut his mouth and watched as the most disliked PT instructor on campus kneeled down in front of his daughter leaning close to her. "Do NOT yell at me, young lady."

Cady opened her mouth and the sergeant place a finger over her lips. "DO. NOT."

The two looked at each other for a long moment, then Cady let out her most pathetic sniff. "Out. Pease."

The sergeant nodded, "That is much more like it. Any objections, Cadet, if this young lady stands with me today?"

"Sir, I, she. . ."

"Good. Come along then young lady." Dismissing Keith, he quickly unstrapped Cady and lifted her to his shoulder and walked back to the front of the class.

"No then. This young lady and I are going to run you through your paces. And since we are late today, I think some extra conditioning is in order. Any objections?"

"Sir, no sir!" Came the immediate reply.

"Excellent. Let's all start with some jumping jacks."

Over the course of the next few weeks, Cady and the instructor struck up a friendship. Sergea

nt Bilkins would collect Cady from her Dad and Uncles at the start of every class and return her at the end. By the second week, he had even procured two outfits that matched the rest of the cadets. By the third week, Cady tried to do everything 'her' Sergeant did. Keith had to admit, it melted his heart to see his little girl, who only reached the Sergeant's knee, look up to him and copy his actions. When he saluted, she saluted. When he walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, she did too. By the end of the semester, Cady had become the mascot for the PT class. Somehow, she inspired everyone to try harder. If she could try and to pushups, why they could do ten more. If she tried to run with them, inevitably someone picked her up and put her on their shoulders until the end of the run.

It became the hardest PT class any of them had joined. And the best.

On the last day, Keith tried to say something to Bilkins. The Sergeant simply shook his head. "Dismissed!"

When the next semester started and they arrived on the PT field, they found the Sergeant waiting for them, and the most hated instructor and class had doubled in size.

For the rest of their career, Sergeant Bilkins led their PT classes. On their last day of PT before graduation, when he dismissed the class, no one moved. Instead, from the back row, one of the cadet's who had a talent for painting brought a wrapped frame to the front of the class and handed to the Sergeant without a word. When he opened it, he found a painting of Cady standing next to him, leading the class. She had managed to capture Cady looking up at 'her Sergeant,' lip tucked between her teeth trying to copy his pose. The sergeant looked back down at Cady with one corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile.

The Sergeant did not say a word, but turned to salute the class. "Scram. Before you are late."

"Sir, yes, sir."

The painting would hang in his office until his retirement from Garrison.

When the men left for Arus, he listed Sergeant Bilkins as one of Cady's guardians. When the new class of Cadets arrived, she walked out onto the field with "My Sargant."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	7. Chapter 7

Many thanks for all the comments on this. It started out as a two chapter wrap up. Not sure how it has ended up as 9 chapters and counting.

Thanks to one of my favorite people for the Beta KL – it makes life easier!

Mikko Gorma's is named after one of my host "brothers" from when I was in Finland.

I am a fan of the "minor" characters. Sometimes the supporting characters steal the scene, and it gives the background on characters we often wish to see in stories.

More fun coming!

Chapter 7

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Keith shook his head and smiled at the memories. Sergeant Bilkins still sent Cady presents on her birthday and the pair communicated electronically; although each message sometimes took months to arrive. Keith had asked many times for him to accept a transfer to Arus to help train the fledgling Arusian military, but the Sergeant had too much family near him to transfer. He had done the next best thing and scoured the rank and file, finding trainers without large ties to Earth, ran them through his own 'special' training program and sent them Keith. The young king could not have asked for better men and women.

Left arm twitching, the young king absently massaged it as he carefully backed away from his daughter's door. Turning, he looked his wife and smiled. Awake or asleep, Allura loved to snuggle and inevitably she scooched inch by inch until his share of the bed amounted to centimeters.

The twitching in his arm started to increase in frequency and duration. Stifling a moan, he walked to the sitting room where he had left the emergency injection Dr. Gorma had given him for these occasions. From experience, Keith knew the spasm would continue to grow and then spread, and he did not need another episode where Allura woke to find him on the floor. In fact, he could think of nothing he wanted less. Plus, Tsuyo still wanted answers, and Keith had ducked the questions long enough.

Damn, he felt so tired all the time. Tired of all the demands. Really, he just wanted quiet to figure out what to do next. To plan. To find a new path

Reaching out, he picked up the injector just as a particularly hard spasm hit. The young man bit his tongue and grabbed the edge of the cabinet to keep from falling over, dropping the injector in the process, and watched it roll under the cabinet.

"Well, fuck."

Taking a deep breath, and holding his left arm as tight as possible, he knelt down in front of the cabinet. At least the injector had rolled in a circle, and stuck out enough that he had a chance of retrieving it. Clenching his teeth together, the man let go of his arm to grab it, wincing harder as his arm flopped uncontrollably. Raising the injector to his mouth, he pulled the cover off with his teeth and unceremoniously jabbed the needle into his arm, pressing the button to inject the drug. Letting the device fall to the ground, Keith leaned his head against the cabinet and grabbed his left arm with his right hand as the injection began to work, and the muscle stopped spasming. With a sigh, he tried to stand, only to have his legs buckle back under him.

"Double fuck."

With a grimace, he turned to let his legs slide down until his back rested against the cabinet, right hand holding down the left, and head banging lightly behind him. "This beyond sucks. Stupid, stupid body. Lame ass crapshoot of a recovery." He stopped speaking aloud when he heard his wife stirring in the next room. Last thing he needed right now; her waking up and seeing him stuck on the floor.

After several more minutes, he put his right hand down, drew up his legs and turned onto his knees. Grabbing the edge of the cabinet, he managed to pull himself to his feet, left arm dangling uselessly, still occasionally twitching. He knew the injection would make him doped up and needing to sleep in the next few minutes, but where to go? Not to bed, again, Allura could not wake up to him in a drugged out state. Not the gardens, first place anyone would look.

Shit.

He leaned his head on his mostly good right hand. Which he still could not close in a fist. Standing straight as the idea came to him, the crèche. No classes today, and no one would look for him there. If he left his communicator behind. . . he could be alone. Blessedly alone.

Not bothering with shoes, he headed toward the door. Thankfully, they had dispensed with the door guards several weeks ago. They still monitored the corridors, but Keith had nothing to hide. If he looked like he had a destination, no one would remark on where he went. At least for a while. He hoped.

Feeling sluggish, he walked near the wall so if he staggered it would not appear obvious and no one would try to come and help him. As he drew near the crèche, he looked around, but it appeared still early enough no one walked the halls except him. Slipping in the door, he locked it behind him and breathed a sigh of relief. Going to one of the beds, he slipped under the covers and let sleep come.

Rolling over, the man hit the button to activate the com, "This had better be good."

"Sir, yes, sir. There is a bit of an. . . well . . . odd situation, and we are not sure what to do about it."

Running a hand over his face, the man slid out of bed, quietly, and took the com toward the sitting room. "Elaborate."

"Well, sir, the King is wandering the halls, and, well. . . "

"Right. Ok, where?"

"Well, sir, he seems to be heading toward the crèche."

"Ok, understood. On my way. Leave a message for Gorma that I am handling. It."

"Yes, sir. Should we. . . "

"No. Return to your posts."

"Yes sir."

"Out."

The man rolled his head on his shoulder and sighed. Taking a minute to put on clothes, he strolled out of the room, ordering a breakfast from the secondary kitchen, and pulling out his data pad as he walked.

He arrived at the crèche doors, and scratched his chin while waiting for his breakfast to arrive. When it did, he thanked the delivery girl, and took a long appreciative swallow of his coffee. Quad tall skinny vanilla latte with cinnamon on top. After so many years, Arus had finally started adopting the drink as more Earth natives and near-Earth natives brought their tastes to the growing planet. The Arusians had grabbed onto the drink with gusto, and started exploring different kinds of native plants similar to coffee beans. It leant a nutty taste to the drink that he had become not only accustomed to but enjoyed. Unlike Earth coffee beans, the Arusian ones did not need excessive roasting, and leant a fuller body with less burnt taste to the drink.

Shaking his head, he walked into the main room of the crèche, and set down his breakfast at a table with his data pad. He then glanced in the rooms, looking for his friend. He saw him, curled on his right side, right arm resting on his left, fast asleep. With a nod, the big man walked back to the table with his breakfast. Pulling up his messaging, he let Saria know what had happened. Putting down the tablet, he stood to stand in front of the view screen. It currently showed the view over the lake. The sun had not yet risen, and the two moons reflected onto the surface. He did not know how long he stood, watching the moons as the smaller chased the larger across the surface of the water. Just as the sun started to rise, he finally nodded his head and walked back to pick up his tablet from the table. Returning to stand in front of the brightening screen, he began to dictate his thoughts.

As the sun continued to rise, he paused to rearrange his schedule and put a "do not disturb" message on his inbox. It would take a large change to make this right, and he had a large plan to create.

The smell of coffee and the low rumble of male voices floated over his head. Sleep pulled him back but the delicious scent of coffee woke his stomach. With a sigh, he opened his eyes, wincing at the tingles in his right arm from sleeping in such a position. Looking around, it took a minute for him to recognize the room. _Right, I came to the crèche. What in the world was I thinking? Dumb, dumb, dumb._

Taking a deep breath, he slowly brought himself to a seated position, wondering what manner of trouble awaited him in the next room. Low male laughter brought him to a standing position and he took a few steps to stand in the doorway and look at the scene before him.

At a table, sat Gorma and Tsuyo, with a game of chess between them. Empty food dishes sat next to each of them, and steaming mugs of coffee on the other side. Tsuyo studied the board, while Mikko sat back, picking up his coffee mug, a smug smile on his face. "Mate in three, my friend."

Tsuyo studied the board for a few more minutes, then with a deep, pained sigh, tipped over his king. "Mate in three. The game is yours."

The doctor laughed low as he stood to refill his coffee mug from the thermos on a table nearby, set-up with warming dishes. As he poured, he noticed the young king, standing in the doorway, looking simultaneously bemused and tired. His hair stuck up in odd places, and his clothes looked wrinkled from the long sleep. "Ahhh, the sleeper awakens at last. Wait, what is the time, Tsuyo?"

"Ahhh, 15.20. Pool goes to, let's see, Saria. Again. How _does_ she do that? Fine. Well, it will make up for putting most of the planning on her shoulders."

"Hmmm. True." Picking up another mug, he filled it with the fragrant, dark brew and walked the half dozen steps to hold it out to Keith. "Good afternoon, highness. Coffee?"

The man reached out and took the mug is his right hand, left curling around it slightly for the warmth, and sniffed deeply in appreciation before taking a long sip. As he stood, cradling his drink, Gorma picked up a pastry, and moved back to sit in his chair, while the yellow pilot put away the chess pieces and pulled up a third chair to the table. "Got some good vittles to tempt you this afternoon, Keith when you wake up a bit. Convinced Magda to make some of those cheesy pastries we all like. Even found some fresh mushrooms and some peppers to add to them. Plus, oh rapturous joy, almond croissant. Jana just baked some this morning, and I managed to snag a whole tray fresh out of the oven. You best hurry and grab one before I eat them all. 'Course, you cannot tell Saria. She is bound and determined, I will eat healthy."

Bemused, Keith meandered to the warming pans, and found lots of small bits to tempt anyone's appetite. In addition to the cheesy pastries and almond croissants, fresh fruit, and his favorite yogurt drink rounded out the offerings. Putting down his coffee, he picked a few of his favorites, placing them on a small plate and walked it over to the table before returning for his coffee. While Keith filled his plate, Gorma refilled a carafe with fresh coffee, topping off all the mugs on the table as he reclaimed his seat. Mikko and Tsuyo kept up a running conversation reviewing their chess game, while Keith ate and drank his coffee.

"If I had moved the rook before the knight . . ."

"I would have countered with my bishop."

"Right, but that would have set up my other knight,"

"Who would run into my pawn."

Keith just smiled and sat back, relaxing for the first time in months, if not years. At least it felt that way. Neither of them expected him to participate, and only refilled his coffee cup when it emptied. About fifteen minutes later, a very light knock sounded on the door. Tsuyo went to answer it, and one of the kitchen servers came in a few moments later. He quickly left fresh coffee carafes, and refilled the warmers with other finger foods, added some fresh fruit, and a pitcher of a green liquid, then quickly left with the dirty dishes.

Out of curiosity, Keith wandered back over to the food, and picked out a few more nibbles to try. He missed the look between the doctor and his friend as he returned to the table with a few more bites. Tsuyo stood up and brought the green liquid and three glasses to the table, pouring some for each of them. Raising his glass, without stopping the conversation with Mikko, the other two followed suit and took small sips of the liquid.

Keith paused and looked at the drink before taking a larger sip. It had a vaguely creamy minty flavor, with a hint of citrus and the bite of alcohol.

Seeing the look on his face, Mikko smiled, "It is a drink my wife makes, highness. An old, _old_ family recipe. She usually sets up batches in the Spring, and allows them to ferment for a year or two. It took some wrangling, but I managed to convince her to part with some. For hmmm, _medicinal_ purposes, you know."

"Doctor, you have more _medicinal purpose_ drinks than Haggar has warts."

Both men laughed. "That may be a true statement, but one should find pleasure and enjoyment where possible."

"To your health then," Keith replied, holding up his glass.

As the conversation continued, Keith felt himself relaxing and returning for a few more bites of food. He actually felt hungry, and the food actually tasted good for once. His arm and back did not hurt at the moment, so he decided to just let things be. In his relaxed stated, he did not notice the number of times either Mikko or Tsuyo refilled his glass or his coffee, as the three men talked about subjects far and wide. Sometime later, he reached out to put his empty glass on the table, but missed and watched as it bounced off the floor and rolled to a stop. Blinking hard, he watched as Tsuyo leaned over to pick it up and plunk it back on the table. "Ok, oh Captain my Captain, I am cutting you off."

"Cutting me off?"

The yellow pilot nodded ponderously, "Yep. You are cut off. Finished. Done. No more for you!"

Mikko snickered behind his hand. "I forgot how much a punch this packs."

Keith looked back and forth between the two men, a smile blooming on his face, as he tried to stand, only to fall back in the chair. "Whoa, Nellie."

"Need some help?"

"Wouldn't that be the blind leading the deaf?"

The other two men started laughing uproariously.

Keith finally managed to stand and weave his uncertain way to the retiring room, listening as the two men behind him struggled to gain control. "S'not that funny!" He called over his shoulder.

"Snot funny?" Tsuyo laughed harder. "SNOT funny?" When the door closed behind Keith, he looked over at his co-conspirator. "See, tol' ya. So, NOW you on board?"

Mikko nodded, "I am." He pulled his tablet out of his pocket and opened up a message, "Annnnd, Saria is starting the process."

Tsuyo nodded with a grin. "Excellent. Now, I see there is still some of that delicious green liquid in the pitcher. Shame for it to stay there."

The doctor refilled all three glasses, and then held his up to Tsuyo. "To a brilliant idea, flawlessly executed. Let's hope the rest works as well."

Tsuyo clinked his glass against Mikko's. "To hope."

They each took a drink.

Several hours later, Saria and Mikko's wife came to pour the three of them into some of the beds in the crèche, after determining they would not likely make it to their rooms. The women laughed at the antics of the three trying to 'help.'

Fifteen minutes later, the women sat in two comfortable chairs, with glasses of green liquid in their hands. "This is going to work, Saria. Your Tsuyo came up with a brilliant, out of the box plan."

Saria nodded and raised her glass. The two clinked glasses together, then sat back in their chairs, finalizing plans while hope grew in their hearts.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8, Reprise

Keith woke slowly to his favorite sound. Rather than moving, he lay still with his eyes closed, listening. The mixed up lullaby involving a goose, a pumpkin, and lions jumping over the moon curved his face in to a smile. As he did so, he felt a small hand pat his face. "I see you smiling, Daddy. You are pretending."

At that, Keith let out a deliberate loud snore.

Giggling, his daughter leaned over him and gave him kisses. "Wakey, wakey, no more fakey!"

Opening his eyes, Keith reached out carefully to pull Cady into a cuddle and cover her face in loud, smacking kisses. Within a few minutes both Dad and daughter's laughter drew her Uncle to watch the proceedings.

"Well-a-day, that is the way to start a glorious day."

"Uncle Yo!" Cady launched herself off the bed, expecting her Uncle to catch her and swing her in circles. Keith laughed as a slightly hung over man barely managed to grab Cady before she collided with his stomach. Carefully, he levered himself to a sitting position, pleasantly surprised to feel no after effects of their long afternoon and evening of imbibing. Even more so, his stomach growled. He could not remember the last time he actually felt hungry. "Ok, munchkin, shoo so I can dress."

"'Kay, Daddy. Hurry up, cause I am ready to GO and have been waiting hours and hours for you and Uncle 'Yo to wake up so we can LEAVE! Chop, chop, on the double!"

"Yes, ma'am. As you say, ma'am." Keith tossed a salute her way, as she left the room with Tsuyo and he carefully made his way to the bathroom to ready himself for the day. As he moved, he realized for the first time since he had woken after the last battle, nothing actually hurt. His left hand still felt half asleep, but he felt no pain. With a sense of wonder and relief, turned on the shower, wondering what Mikko's wife Lara put in her drink.

Twenty minutes later, he emerged from the room feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. Cady sat at the table with Magda, happily engaged with crayons and paper, humming out of tune as she drew. Magda sat across from Cady with her ever present cup of tea and knitting. She could not stand to sit still, and only admitted to taking up knitting to save her own sanity. She liked keeping her hands busy while she talked with or supervised others.

" 'Bout time you woke up. Slug-a-beds, the lot of you. Well, do not expect me to serve you, I am in the middle of a row, and this pattern is a tricky one."

"Yes, Magda." He walked over to give his daughter a kiss on her head and look at her drawing. "What are you creating today, Cady?"

"I do not know yet. But I will know when it is done!"

With a chuckle, he walked over to serve himself some breakfast. To his delight, he found more of the little bites, as well as eggs scrambled with cheese.

"All easy to keep warm or cold. Figured the three of you would sleep late today. Mikko already left, but Tsuyo should emerge soon."

Keith grunted around a sip of coffee. He sighed, "Ambrosia."

"You always that say about any drink that resembles coffee."

"True, but then it is always a true statement!"

Keith brought his plate and cup over to the table, left hand shaking at the weight of the mug, but he did not drop it, which pleased him greatly. He and Magda made small talk, while Cady concentrated on her creation. It secretly amused Keith that she could neither draw anything recognizable nor sing in any key ever created. Allura had always told her, "Goddess gave you your voice, make sure you give it right back!" So Cady sang, and hummed. Terribly. Keith loved her all the more for it.

A few minutes more, and Tsuyo wandered out of the bathroom, heading straight for the food. He joined them all at the table, and started eating quickly.

After a few minutes, Cady started squirming. "Ok, now, Nanny?"

Magda smiled and sipped from her cup. "Yes, now."

"Daddy, daddy, guess what?"

"Green goats eat purple grass."

"Noooooo, everyone knows ORANGE goats eat purple grass."

"Ok, Gorillas grow grapes."

"Nooooooo. Daddy! Guess really!"

"Ok, Uncle Darrel created yet another new wonderful technological gizmo no one understands."

"No! Daddy!"

"Ok, I give up, what?"

"We are going on a vacation!"

Keith blinked, hand paused halfway to his mouth. " _We_ are going on a _vacation?_ "

"Uh, huh. You and me and Uncle 'Yo and Aunt Saria and Nanny."

"Ooooh kay. And when are we leaving?"

"Today!"

"Uh, huh, and where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!"

"A surprise. . . vacation, with Uncle Tsuyo, Aunt Saria, and Nanny Magda."

"Yes! And Nanny is going to teach me how to cook, and stuff."

"Well, this certainly sounds interesting."

Cady nodded, wiggling on her chair in excitement. "And Nanny and me already packed everything, and boy was there a lot of stuff! Uncle Darrell had to hook up a whole big trailer to one of the transports, and stuff is still everywhere. Black is super excited too. He says he is tired of the den and is looking forward to basking in the sunshine."

" _Black_ is coming?"

"Uh, huh. It will be lots of fun! Plus Black says he has lots of fun games to play."

Magda rolled up her ball of yarn, and finished her last sip of tea. "All right, young lady. If we are going on vacation today, you and I have some last minute things to accomplish, while Daddy and Uncle Tsuyo have a talk. Deal?"

Cady quickly jumped off her chair and ran to the door before stopping to look back at the table. "Oh, my crayons."

"Your Dad will put them away this once. Now then, off we go!"

Magda and Cady walked out the door, leaving Keith to lean back in his chair, coffee mug in his right hand, and pointing his left at his friend. "Spill it."

The yellow pilot ran a hand through his hair, and swallowed hard. "See, it is like this. You are not getting any better here. Too many people making too many demands on you. Me and Yellow been working on our communicating, and even if I cannot talk to him the way you talk to Black, we have an understanding happening. See, the way I figure is it is like this. I sat in Yellow and been talking through all the things that have been happening around the Castle in the last few months. Yellow has been letting me know when I am on the right track and when I am on the wrong one. It's not like I hear him or anything, more that I get this, well, feeling of approval when I am on the right track, or a nudge when I am not. Then I started paying attention to what is happening. Yesterday confirmed it." The man blew out a breath, "I am rambling here."

Keith nodded. "I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to say, other than that you have started to feel Yellow."

"Ok. You need to leave the castle for a while and concentrate on you. Not the council, not the military, not anything except you. And Cady. Mikko and I think that your body is reflecting your state of mind. The spasms should have slowed by now, and if anything, they continue to increase in severity, duration, and frequency. We have a theory. Which is long and involved, but the short answer is, you need a spa month."

"A Spa. Month."

"Yep. You need a month where you do not have anyone depending on you, asking you questions. You have an entire month of massage, relaxing, and playing with Cady."

Keith did not reply, but just tapped a finger on the side of his mug as he looked at his friend.

"It is all arranged. Saria will act as your physical therapist and personal masseuse, I am the muscle, Magda is in charge of fattening you up, and Cady is in charge of keeping us all smiling." He paused to smile, "Young Cady has spent most of the last day making elaborate plans. And writing them down. It is pretty amazing how excited she is to have time with you and no one else."

"And Allura? And Magda?"

"I do not know the details there, but she has instructed me not to let you come back until you are ready. I think she plans on visiting once or twice, but otherwise is staying behind to continue with the rebuilding. Magda said, and I quote, 'I have not had a vacation in five years. I plan on cooking, knitting, and reading steamy romance novels. Putting my feet up and enjoying my time with Cady.' End quote."

Tsuyo watched as Keith closed his eyes and swallowed hard twice. "Black is coming?"

He heard the pilot stand and opened his eyes and he brought something over to the table. It looked like a cross between a turtle shell and a wet suit.

"What in the world?"

"It's a support suit. See, Mikko asked me what I thought would be the most helpful, and I told him flying. Well, he told me about the problem with your bones, and why it would not work well. So, Darrell and I started tinkering and came up with this design. It is not very elegant, but we did not have much time. It is flexible and rigid at the same time. As you fly, it should provide support against the g-forces, but without putting any added pressure on your body. Basically it keeps the pressure constant. Don't ask for the details unless you want to go to sleep. Darrell had an equation that took six boards. See, Yellow led me down a path where they think Black can help, but needs time with you to do that. Never going to happen around here, so, off we go."

Keith did not say a word, but fingered the material of the suit. "I can fly?" He whispered.

"You can fly."

Tsuyo watched as a blaze of joy flashed across Keith's face and his whole body relaxed. "Thank you, Tsuyo, Just. Thank you."

The man shrugged, "You are welcome." The he smiled ruefully, "Of course, there are rules, regulations, expectations, schedules, and such."

"Which we are ignoring?"

"Absolutely! Rules, schmules. You will have to keep up on your therapy, but other than that? Nope."

Keith carefully stood, finishing the last of his coffee. "So, when do we leave?"

"How about now?"

"How about yes!"

Laughing, Tsuyo scooped up the suit, and gestured Keith toward the door. "After you, your majesty."

"As it should be," he replied, sticking his nose in the air and walking out the door.

Shaking his head, Tsuyo followed his friend out the door and toward the repair bay where Keith's ride awaited.


	9. Chapter 9

Once again, many thanks to KS – I could not do this without your input.

This story took a very different path than I had originally intended. My outline told the story in two chapters. Once the writing began, it quickly became obvious two did not fully convey the story. I hope you enjoy this journey.

Recovery is a funny thing. It takes time and sometimes longer than we anticipate and filled with back steps, side steps, and diagonal steps. And sometimes a bit of magic.

Keith shifted in his seat, the turtle suit Tsuyo and Darrell had created felt odd. He had never gone scuba diving, but he imagined a similar feeling of constriction. He welcomed the sensation as he and Black flew, just enjoying the view and the quiet. Black steadfastly refused to go supersonic and put any amount of pressure on Keith's brittle bones, even with the protection of the suit. The lion flat refused to take any chances with his main person. The new pilot for Black had arrived several months before, but he could not bond with the new pilot.

The rest of the force continued to look for a replacement, but it proved more difficult than initially thought. Cady would not come of age for another decade, and none of the current crop of trainees had the right "feeling" according to Black.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Keith let himself fall into the moment, and enjoy flying. Nothing could compare to the feeling of flight or the rush a burst of speed could bring. He felt, more than heard, Black's exasperated sigh. Nothing would induce the lion to do the aerial tricks he and Keith usually enjoyed.

The man lost track of the time he and Black simply flew. Eventually he felt his back start to ache from sitting. The lion banked gently and within a few minutes came to a gentle landing in a field near a dwelling. With a fond caress on the control panel, Keith carefully levered himself to a standing position, pausing to let his back relax and stretch a moment before heading toward the exit. He moved awkwardly, the turtle suit restricting his freedom of movement. By the time he maneuvered to the door, Tsuyo had arrived to help him out of the suit.

Neither man spoke, but the Yellow Pilot noticed that his friend just looked more relaxed. Some of the tenseness had left his frame, and he moved with more looseness in his muscles. He did not hold himself readied for pain or a spasm to strike at any moment. Tsuyo smiled inwardly. Just putting Keith back in the air had done more good than a week of massage, drugs, and therapy. He startled as he felt a vibration under his feet.

The young king laughed at the look on his friend's face, "Black is just expressing his approval for your plan."

Tsuyo reached out to pat the wall near the door panel. "Not just another pretty face, I know. 'Course, with a mug like mine. . ."

He and Darrell had fashioned the turtle suit to come off in pieces, just like ancient plate mail armor. Keith could not put it on himself, but the design prevented any undue pressure on Keith's fragile bones, and allowed for easier modification as it became necessary. "How did the first run go?"

"Wonderfully well. My back started to bug me, but that is most likely just from sitting for, hmmm, how long did we fly?"

"Huh. Maybe we can put in some low back supports to help offset that, or adjust the chair. Oh, about six hours or so." Tsuyo kept muttering under his breath as he dismantled the suit, checking each piece as he removed it.

The Black Pilot just remained silent, used to Tsuyo's absent minded answers. _Six hours? No wonder my back started protesting. No wonder I feel better._ He felt Black's agreement in the back of his mind. They had just needed the time together. Time for Black to work his magic; literally.

Ten minutes later, the two men rode down the elevator to the ground. On the way, Keith saw his daughter literally bouncing on her toes, waiting for them to descend. "Why didn't you come up?" Keith called down to her.

"Oh, I just came and Black told me by the time I came up, it would be time to come down, so I just waited." She piped back.

When the elevator stopped, Keith carefully knelt down and opened his arms to give his daughter a big hug. He nearly came to tears as he realized for the first time since he woke in the hospital, he did not have to repress a wince as she gave him a big squeeze. His ribs did not hurt; his arms did not hurt. In fact, other than the small pinching in his back from sitting too long in one position, he felt no pain. The man could hardly remember what it felt like to not feel pain constantly. He relaxed even further into his impromptu cuddle with his daughter. Black felt like a reassuring presence in the back of his mind, and he sent wordless gratitude and love back.

Finally, he let go and stood, marveling at the ease at which he could. Cady took the hand he held out and the two of them started walking toward the house. Keith and Tsuyo listened as Cady started relaying the tale of their journey and their mini-adventures of setting up the house. Everyone felt hungry, so Nanny Magda had whipped up a really amazing meal and it waited for Keith to come so they could all eat together as a family. Plus, they had dessert. Cady could not remember what Nanny called it, but it looked really delicious. It had fruit with a sugary crumble on the top, oh and could she please stay up a little later because she had fallen asleep in the transport on the way, which meant she missed seeing some of the cool sights. And did her Dad know about the lake behind the house which had fish in it? Uncle Tsuyo said they could go fishing and then bake the fish in the coals of a fire, and then they could roast marshmallows and catch the evening lightening bugs as they danced in the sky.

As Cady continued to prattle on, Tsuyo and Keith exchanged a smile over her head. Tsuyo had told Keith how quiet Cady had grown and he and Saria had worried a bit. It looked like not just the young King had needed time away.

Cady let go of her Dad's hand to run ahead to the house to tell Nanny Magda that her dad had _finally_ arrived and could they please have some dinner so they could have some dessert? Plus her Dad had given her the BIGGEST hug in months and months so it must mean her Dad felt better. Could they play a game after dinner or maybe go for a walk and look for lightening bugs?

Tsuyo gestured Keith toward the dining room as they walked into the house, while he turned to the work room where he had set up a charging station and dressmaker's dummy for the turtle suit.

"And no tinkering before dinner, Tsuyo!"

The yellow pilot laughed as his wife's voice floated down the hallway. She knew him all too well. "No tinkering, Sar, promise!"

Quickly setting the suit on the dummy, he walked to the dining room where he saw Keith sitting with a glass of Lara's drink in one hand while Cady leaned against his knee and he stroked her hair with his other. Magda and Saria came in from the kitchen with two dishes and Tsuyo stole a kiss from his lovely lady as she came near him.

"Sit, sit, Tsuyo, these are the last of the dishes."

The big man complied and the two ladies joined them at the table. After a brief pause to let Saria and Magda acknowledge the Goddess and God Above, the five dug in with gusto into Magda's offerings. The conversation flowed, and much laughter floated above the table. The five people took the time to really appreciate Magda's cooking and the company. At the end of the meal, Keith, Tsuyo, and Cady took care of the clean-up, since Magda and Saria had taken care of the cooking and setting up the kitchen for the next month. When they finished, the two men and little girl joined the ladies on the front porch, where refills of Lara's drink waited for the adults and hot chocolate for Cady. The adults watched as Cady ran around trying to catch the lightening bugs, enjoying the quiet, with only occasional bursts of conversation.

Keith rocked in the chair, head back, letting the atmosphere relax him further. Tsuyo had it correct, again. He needed this more than anything else. No one asked anything of him. No decisions. Just enjoying his daughter, his bond-mate, and friends, and Magda. He looked at the woman who had become, not a mother, but something more than just a friend. She looked out for him when he needed it, gave advise, but only when he asked, and generally kept the team functioning and healthy. Her knitting needles occasionally caught the light, flashing like a lightening bug themselves. Keith could see the tension draining out of her as well. They both had a tendency to work too hard and take on too much. Well, that should change for the both of them when they returned to the castle. Black sent a burst of approval and a feeling of irony. The lion had tried for years to encourage Keith to slow down and delegate more. Although, even Black had to admit the lack of trained personnel together with the lack of support from Garrison had made that prospect difficult. With the Arusian military academy graduating students, Garrison _finally_ sending help, a restructuring of the military and Keith's duties could happen.

The young monarch pushed those thoughts aside. He just wanted to enjoy the quiet and NOT think about duty.

Cady finally stopped chasing after the lightening bugs, and wandered over to climb on Keith's lap. She turned sideways so her head could rest against his chest, but she could still see the other three. Keith wrapped his arms around her and let his eyes close. Nothing could come close to the absolute joy he found in his daughter.

Saria began to weave a story around an Arusian legend. Only half listening as he rocked his daughter, Keith let his thoughts wander. Although he had never expected to marry again, or under such, for an off-worlder, strange circumstances, he felt not only peaceful about the decision, but hopeful and excited. Perhaps he did not love Allura in the way sagas depicted great loves, but he did love her. How could he not? Outward beauty aside, she adored his, no, _their_ daughter. Her strength of character, and all the virtues Coran and Magda instilled in her, made her shine with an inner light, which Keith could bask beside.

Not to say that she did not have faults, or habits that drove him up a wall, but those miniscule items did not compare. They would have to find a way to reconcile some of their differing habits, but what couple did not? More than that, he could finally admit to the longing he had for more children. Allura wanted a large family, and tradition dictated they have at least two, but they would cross that bridge later. The image of a child with Allura's eyes shot a jolt straight to his heart. He adored his daughter with all his heart and soul, but he already anticipated holding another child in his arms. His thoughts continued to meander hither and yon with Saria's voice winding through them.

Keith startled awake as someone lifted Cady from his arms.

"Shhh. Tis only me, Saria. Both ye and Cady fell asleep, so I am just tucking her in bed."

"Oh," came the reply with rapidly blinking eyes. A hand appeared in front of his face.

"Up go you, Cap."

For a moment, Keith only looked at the hand in confusion, then put his hand in it and let his friend pull him to his feet. He winced slightly, as muscles protested the long ride in Black and falling asleep with his daughter on his lap. He shook his arms as tingles from sitting in one position ran up and down to his fingers.

"Eh, Saria," Tsuyo called.

"Have him strip down and I will work his muscles so they do not tense up overnight. Look in the cupboard on the right of the cooler, second shelf, box marked 'Relax.' Brew up a tea and steep it 6 minutes. Then bring it in."

"Yes, ma'am." He turned to his friend. "We have our marching orders."

The young king only nodded, flexing his hands open and shut, trying to work out the tingles. He moved slowly and stiffly toward the house.

"Down the hall, first room on the left. Room we set up for everything else is across the hall."

Bemused, Keith listened to the hushed adult voices and the sleepy voice of his daughter as they put her to bed. Shuffling a bit, he went to the room as directed and found himself in a relaxing atmosphere. Three cucumber green walls with one sand colored wall gave the room a garden glen feel. Pictures of waterfalls and pictures of the night sky hung strategically to delighted the eye while relax the mind. The thick carpet cushioned his steps, as he walked into the room. A king sized bed covered with a dark green quilt dominated the room. A set of drawers sat against the wall closest to the door and a small wardrobe sat against the far wall next to the window, while a door directly to the left on the other side of the drawers looked like it led to a bathroom. A comfortable looking chair with a reading light and small round table balanced out the bed.

The wardrobe provided a soft bathrobe when he opened the doors to wear after refreshing himself in the small bathroom. He walked across the hall to find what had once housed a bedroom transformed into a combination workout/therapy/massage room. Heaters along the walls had started to warm up the room where Keith would feel comfortable without heavy clothes, and the lights dimmed. A pleasant smell of mint floated through the air, and soft sounds of nature drifted through the air.

Saria came through with a steaming cup in her hands. "Perfect. I would like you to sit on the massage chair to start. That way I can work on the muscles in your back, while you drink this tea."

At Keith's skeptical look, she laughed.

"I promise, no medication in the tea. Just some natural herbs that help induce relaxation and sleep. Mikko and I had a long talk, and he wants to wean you off the muscle relaxants. He thinks part of the problem is a feedback loop, since we know you do not always react to meds the way we would expect. I consulted with an herbalist, and she gave me lists and boxes. I simply follow what she says. Tonight you will need to take a dose of the muscle relaxants, but starting tomorrow morning, we will wean you off of them. For a time, I am going to supplement with the teas and tisanes. The hope is within a week or three to have you off of most assistants."

Keith took a huge breath and let it out. "Thank you. It is exactly what Mikko and I discussed, but could not seem to implement successfully."

Saria only nodded and handed him the pills and the drink. "It should be cool enough to drink now." She waited until he had taken the pills and drank half of the drink before turning her back. "You know the drill."

The young man removed the robe and after a moment's thought stripped down to only a towel. "Ready."

Saria turned around, and looked at him thoughtfully, "Change of plan. Drink the rest of this and then lay face down on my table."

Keith complied, sighing in contentment as he realized the table had a heating element. He could feel himself relaxing against the warmth of the room and the heat radiating upward. He heard Saria bustling around for a moment, then felt her hands start to work in the muscles in his neck. The oil she used had nearly no scent, and he closed his eyes to give himself up to the moment.


	10. Chapter 10

Warning: The following chapter contains an adult scene. Because Tsuyo deserves it. And so does KS. Actually, the first scene is for the Hunkateers – because you ladies are AMAZING!

In my part of the world, we call those flashing bugs fireflies. My Aunt and Uncle call them lightening bugs, and it seemed more appropriate for this world.

It would be very nice to know if people are enjoying the story. I know people are reading, but I am curious - are you reading because you feel you need to or are like the story?

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Tsuyoshi pushed away from the table where his current project lay in pieces to pace around the room. The last month had passed swiftly, but he could no longer put off returning back to the castle. His assistant did a great of job of day to day maintenance and keeping the rest of his crew in line, but several projects waited his return, progress stalled until he could put his hands on the pieces and feel what they told him. Plus, truth be told, he missed the collaborative environment; the way an offhand remark could send his mind on a new tangent to either fix a problem or give an idea for improvement or a new way of doing something. The restless feeling increased, and he wandered into the kitchen to see what his wife had done for the morning.

Tsuyo found Saria in the kitchen balanced on one leg on a stool trying to reach something in the top cupboard. In a movie, she would have slipped just as he entered the kitchen. He would have miraculously caught her and a romantic moment would have followed. Instead, he just admired his wife's backside and thought about ways of convincing her to take the afternoon off for a romantic picnic for two.

"I can feel you staring, Yoshi."

"Can't blame a man for admiring the sights."

"But I can blame the man for staring in silence instead of waxing rapturously over the sights."

The man smiled and wandered over to stand behind his wife. With a quick look around, he did one better, and let his hands cup her backside in a caress before letting them wander around to the front to tease.

Saria gasped and gripped the shelf as Yoshi's hand dipped into her pants to tease her. The other hand wandered under her shirt to caress and cup her breast as his teeth grazed against her neck, nipping and kissing from her ear to her shoulder.

"Are you super busy, Sar?" He asked with another subtle movement of his hand.

"I think I could be enticed into taking a break." She responded a little breathlessly.

"Good." Hunk removed his hands to turn Saria around on the stool and then lift her so her legs straddled his waist. Gripping her under her bottom with one hand, he used his other to grip her behind her neck and lower his mouth to hers. Saria slid her hands under his shirt, and used the leverage to rub herself against her husband. With an appreciative sound, Tsuyo pressed her even harder against his front and started to walk in the direction of their bedroom. He barely had the presence of mind to take her there and not simply press his wife against the wall of the kitchen.

Dimly, as he walked the fifty feet to their bedroom, he heard Cady's voice.

"Daddy, they are kissing _again!_ "

Male laugher greeted the pronouncement, "Well, Cady, they just married a few months ago, and most people who have only been married a short time like to kiss a lot."

"Oh. Well then, I am _never_ going to be married. Kisses are gross!"

"All kisses? Even special Daddy kisses."

"We-eeeel, no. But kisses from boys. That are not Uncles or Daddy."

"C'mon Cady, I think I hear Black calling."

"Can we fly?"

"We can talk to Black. . ."

Keith's voice faded as the Yellow Pilot reached his and Saria's room. The door closed automatically behind them, and Tsuyo walked the last few steps to the bed, before laying Saria down on it. He paused a moment in his assault on her mouth, to push up on his forearms. She took advantage of his position to slip her hands into his pants. His breath hissed out as she let her fingers dance up and down. "Saria. . . "

"Less talking, more doing."

Tsuyo laughed. "As my lady commands."

The rest of the afternoon proved the very best way to combat boredom and restlessness.

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Cady bounced out of the cabin and jumped down the stairs before turning to watch her Dad walk through the door. He walked with a smile on his face and hands in his pockets, with the look on his face that told Cady he and Black had started having a discussion. She smiled, humming under her breath as she started down the path to where Black had claimed his landing spot. He loved the glade and enjoyed watching the wildlife in the mornings. Spinning in a circle, Cady watched her Dad in snippets as he strolled down the path behind her. No one except Black had believed her when she said her Dad would recover. Cady had known. She did not doubt for one minute that her Dad would come back to her. The adults had all tried to tell her different. Cady did not understand how the adults could not _see_. Black had tried to explain it to her once, but his explanation did not make any sense. Black had finally sighed and told Cady that he hoped she never learned to understand, that her belief made her powerful in many ways.

Becoming dizzy, Cady plopped down in a particularly soft looking piece of grass and watched the sky as it spun above her head. Her Dad's head blocked the sun as he leaned over her. "Done spinning yet?"

"Yes. I am really dizzy, now."

"Too dizzy for a ride? Black says it is particularly fine flying weather."

Cady promptly tried to jump to her feet, only to lurch sideways. Her Dad caught her and swung her up into a bear hug. "Whoops-a-daisy."

Hugging him as tight as she could, Cady felt happy. They had spent over a month at the cabin, and her Dad looked so much better. He did not run out of breath so fast, and they had started sparring together about a week before. Uncle Tsuyo told Cady to still take care, because her Dad still had a long way to go before he could do everything like he had before the RoBeast. So Cady did what Uncle 'Yo asked, and slowed down to her Dad's speed and made sure to watch how hard she hit. Her Dad had taken them back to the basics, to help his body remember the movements. Cady knew he spent a lot of time doing other things, therapy, her Dad said, when she worked with Nanny M. in the kitchen or at her lessons. Aunt Saria spent a lot of time with Dad as well, and Cady had heard her Aunt yelling at her Dad several times when he did something she had not approved.

"Ready to go for a flight, now?"

Cady nodded, and squirmed until her Dad set her down to run the rest of the way toward Black. Looking over her shoulder, she saw her Dad chasing after her, and with a squeal, she tried to run even faster. Behind her, she heard her Dad laugh, but she made it to Black first. Whirling around, she saw her Dad slow down the last few steps, panting a little bit. "I won!"

"You won." He joined her on the elevator, which Black started.

When they came to the Cabin, Cady put on her Helmet and then pulled out the co-pilot seat. Uncle Darrell had designed it for training purposes and to allow a passenger or observer. He could not understand why the original designers of the Lions had overlooked that detail, so he had fixed it. He had even changed the restraint system, so that it could and did adjust better to the size of the person in the seat. Cady fastened the restraints then turned to watch her Dad do the pre-flight checks.

"No turtle suit, today, Cady, so Black says we will have to take it easy."

Cady nodded. Aunt Saria had explained how her Dad's bones had lost their strength, and would have to build up again. Until then, he had to have protection from the pressure of flying so they would not break. She did not care if they flew easy today, as long as they flew.

After the pre-flight check, they launched into the air. Cady could not stop the grin on her face as the world grew small under them. She exchanged a laugh with her Dad as they went higher and higher. Black purred in contentment as the three just enjoyed their time together.

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Keith rocked on the porch in "his" chair, simply enjoying the quiet. He would never admit it to Mikko, but he had enjoyed his forced vacation from the world. The screen door opened with a small creak that Tsuyo refused to fix. "A front screen door to the porch is _supposed_ to creak. Otherwise, it's not right."

Magda came out on the porch, two mugs in her hands. She handed one to Keith and then went to sit at her spot on the porch swing. "I do not think we will see the newlyweds until morning, and Cady went out like a light."

"We had a busy day today."

"I saw."

The pair sat in quiet for some time, sipping their tea and enjoying the company. Finally, Magda sighed and set aside her mug. "We need to have a talk."

"About?"

"Allura."

"Ah." Keith did not say anything for several minutes, and Magda waited patiently for his response. She knew not to push the conversation, but to wait until Keith had sorted his thoughts for a few minutes. Finally, Keith ran a hand through his hair, and looked at Magda, "What sort of talk?"

"Keith."

"Magda."

"Do I need to spell it out?"

The young groom put his head back against the head rest, and closed his eyes. "No." He stayed that way for several minutes, before sighing and looking at Magda. "I did not look for this. I thought that part of my life had ended."

He stood up, setting his mug down, before going to stand on the porch looking out on the darkness occasionally lit by a lightening bug. "I know Allura had a crush. But I was an off-worlder, a divorced father. I did my best to redirect that crush elsewhere. . . I know she loves me, Magda. I know she adores Cady, and sees Cady as her daughter, too. She loves Cady without reservation."

"And you?"

"I don't know. I love Allura, no question there. But I never looked on her in a romantic way. I couldn't because she is the Crown Princess of Arus, and I am, or was, just an outlander."

"And what about now? Can you see her in a romantic way?"

"I am trying. Honestly, until this last month, I could not see beyond how much I hurt all the time. Every day seemed to blur together where either I felt drugged, or artificially good when Mikko would let me have an Agappon booster, or just tired and in pain."

"Forgive an old woman for being blunt, but did you consummate your marriage?"

Keith startled and turned to look at Magda. "Noooo" he began reluctantly.

"Because you couldn't or didn't want to?"

He gave Magda a wry smile, "Allura is a beautiful, intelligent, desirable woman."

"Ah. Couldn't then." She gave him a considering look, "And now?"

He shrugged one shoulder, "I do not see why 'couldn't' would be a factor now. I have tried to show Allura she is desirable, and tried to woo her as best I could. . . " he trailed off.

"But it is hard to focus on someone else, when you have not quite joined the real world?"

Keith felt his mouth drop open, "What? How? I thought. . ." he stuttered.

"That you were the only one the lions talk to? Or that no one would notice?"

"Wait. What? The lions talk to you?" Keith reached out to grab one of the porch beams.

Magda only chuckled, "Boy, you may know much about the lions, but you do not know all. Of course I talk with the lions. How else do you think I keep abreast of everything? How else can I pry information out of you? Of course, I do not talk to the them like you do. You are rather unique in that regard, but we do communicate. Black often lets me know when you need to stop, take a break, or otherwise need to talk. We have had a conspiracy for years to take care of you and the rest of the boys. It took a while, but between the lions and myself, we found a way to support each of you boys whether I needed to bully, bribe, or cajole you to what you needed."

Keith felt like someone had hit him with a 2x4 to the back of the head. He could feel Black's amusement. How had he never figured it out?

"Because you did not need to, m'boy. You had enough on your plate, that we could do this thing for you because you are loved."

Stumbling a bit, Keith went to kneel in front of Magda, and take both her hands in his before kissing her cheek. "I know you have watched out for me, but this." He shook his head, "Thank you."

Magda pulled one of her hands free to pat his cheek, "I love you, Keith. You have become something like a son to me, and I am very proud of you."

After a few moments, Magda shook her head and gave Keith a sharp pat on the face. "Enough of being maudlin. Sit here and we are going to plot on how you can seduce your bride and build the relationship you should have."

Keith levered himself to his feet, and then sat next to Magda.

"Ok then, the first thing we are going to do. . . ."


	11. Chapter 11

More thanks for the lovely, talented, amazing KS for her continued Betas! I rather inundated her with much to read in a short amount of time.

I know how I ended Battle cause no end of consternation. All you K&A fans, this one's for you.

WARNING: ADULT SCENE.

Keith watched as Black took off with Tsuyo and Cady aboard. Magda and Saria had left hours earlier in the ground car, Magda's knitting needles flashing wildly and Saria already spinning an improbable tale. He raised both arms above his head to stretch, wincing as the he pulled the left shoulder too far. It still did not rotate as well as it could, but Saria swore it had more mobility than before. Keith believed her, but it still did not feel like it to him. Shaking off the somber thoughts, he looked around the glade. It looked strange without Black taking up most of the space. The entire area felt large and quiet. Without anyone else around, he could hear the wind through the leaves, and the occasional chirp from one of the cricket like creatures.

A person did not realize how much noise other people made until the other people all left. He could hear no one else breathing, or walking, or making any of the hundreds of noises people tended to make all unknowing. Taking a deep breath and rotating his neck, he let the tension of the morning fall away. Glancing at his watch, he decided to take a long walk in the glade before lunch. He turned back to the house to grab a water bottle and a snack. In the kitchen, he filled a water bottle, then paused to look at the myriad of notes lining the cupboards and the countertops. Looking at the detailed instructions Magda and Saria had left, he smiled, bemused, and felt loved.

"Behind this cabinet you will find the herbal teas. They do not do any good staying in the cupboard."

"The meals are color coded, so just pick a color. You are on your own for breakfast."

"Glasses in this cupboard, not tools or other bits."

"Press the button marked automatic to wash the dishes. Use the box marked dishwasher tablets ONLY."

Opening the various cupboards, he found more notes. "This is dishwasher tablets. They go in the dishwasher. ONLY the dishwasher."

"This is dish soap for the sink. Do NOT use in dishwasher."

Szheezsh, make a mistake _once_ and never live it down. Just because the bubbles made it all the way to the hallways before they stopped. . . At least the floors had a good thorough cleaning.

Meandering to the exercise room, he found a folder hanging down from the door way with READ ME. . . or ELSE written in black marker. Laughing out loud, he set aside his water bottle, pulled down the folder, removed the ribbon and opened the folder. As he expected, he found another note typed in large, bold, and underlined font.

THIS IS YOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. I WILL GIVE YOU A PASS ON ONE ITEM PER DAY. THAT'S IT. ONE. A SINGLE ITEM. AN INDEX FINGER ITEM. DO **NOT** MESS WITH ME ON THIS ONE. HUGS, SARIA.

Keith laughed even harder; he could hear Saria's voice in his head. Flipping through the pages, he did not find anything too onerous and mentally promised Saria to follow her schedule.

Over the last month, she had really worked him hard, but in a way that actually led to healing. He could finally make it through a short work out without feeling like an octogenarian. He had started sparring with his daughter again. Although he ended up with rather large bruises, no bones had broken, he did not require a three-hour nap after fifteen minutes, and his lungs did not feel as though they would explode. Saria did not promise he would heal to the same place as before, but she thought if he did everything she said, Keith would come close. They just did not know enough about the long-term effects of everything his body had gone through.

Moreover, Keith no longer felt like an alien in his own body. He still needed to gain weight, but at least he looked only scrawny instead of emaciated. He could even shed one of the layers of clothing he had taken to wearing to keep warm.

In all, Keith felt better. Saria had weaned him completely off the muscle relaxers, although she had left not only a supply of them, but emergency injectors in strategic places around the house. The number of spasms which occurred had dramatically decreased, but had not vanished completely, as expected.

Putting the folder down on a bench, he wandered across to his bedroom and leaned against the door jam. Years of training had left him nothing to tidy or neaten. Magda had left flowers in a vase on the night stand closet to the window. Keith smiled and then blew out a large breath before walking back to the front of the cabin.

Feeling unsettled and restless, he walked out the front door and headed toward the lake rather than through the glade. Lost in thought, he arrived at the lake without noticing the passage of time. One of the benefits or detriments of the last month. No one had really kept a schedule. Breakfast and dinner usually occurred around the same time, but everyone had taken lunch as they saw fit. Some days he had gone on picnics or adventures with Cady, some days he needed sleep more than food. Especially the first week.

A fish jumping out of the water broke the quiet of the afternoon, and Keith watched the ripples as they spread out over the surface, and then dissipated. Briefly he considered grabbing a fishing pole, but that would involve gutting and cleaning anything he caught. Tsuyo often teased Keith that he could wade through battle without blinking an eye, but gutting a fish made him gag. Keith had given up explaining years before and just took the gentle teasing from his friend. And then made someone else gut and clean the fish.

Letting the peace sink into him, Keith took several steps back from the edge of the lake. Setting a timer on his watch, he closed his eyes and let the sounds of nature move him in a slow Tai Chi meditation, letting his mind drift.

x

x

x

Allura parked the ground car before the cabin, and nervously pushed her hair behind her ear. When Nanny M. had retuned the day before, she had immediately pulled Allura aside for a long talk. A long _embarrassing_ talk about her marriage to Keith. Nanny had not only asked some very pointed questions, but had bluntly talked to her about her husband of a few months. She had given Allura some very specific instructions, and then told her she needed to pack for a holiday with Keith at the cabin for the next two weeks. Magda had already coordinated Allura's schedule with her secretary, and the kingdom would survive without her so she could take a long overdue trip with her husband. Earth had a tradition called a "Honeymoon," and Magda decided Allura and Keith would have one.

Furthermore, when they returned, the leadership of Arus would discuss Allura's schedule, Keith's schedule, and a restructuring of their responsibilities. Magda also wanted to restructure the castle personnel and management. It had done fine without her direct supervision, or at least mostly fine, for the last month, so she had decided to work less, delegate more, and set the example she expected from Keith and Allura. Magda would work on it while Allura and Keith honeymooned. Then she shooed Allura off and walked to the kitchens.

Feeling a bit dazed, Allura had done as Magda asked. Now, she sat in her transport, hands gripping the steering wheel until her fingers turned white, her head bowed as she tried to gather the courage to leave the car. She had not felt nervous around Keith for years, yet here she sat, unable to open the door to go and greet her husband.

A tap on the window startled Allura from her reverie. Outside she saw Keith smiling at her, before opening her door, holding out a hand. Allura pried her hands off the steering wheel, unbuckled herself and allowed Keith to pull her from the car. He studied her a minute before leaning down to brush his lips over hers. Allura felt her eyes close and she raised her free hand to place two fingers over her lips before opening her eyes and looking at Keith. The man raised his hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Allura's ear. "I have always enjoyed seeing your hair down. It always signaled a time when we could just relax or have fun."

"Oh." Allura suddenly did not know what to say or do. Keith had not let go of her right hand, so she nervously brushed her left down her shirt. Her husband followed the movement with an appreciative glint in his eye. Allura looked at their joined hands, at Keith's right ear, at the cabin behind Keith, then back at the buttons on Keith shirt before licking her lips and raising her eyes back to his.

Keith leaned over to give her one more soft kiss before tugging her hand to have her fall in step with him. Rather than pulling her toward the cabin, he took the path around the side. "Thought you might like a small walk, since you have had a long drive."

Allura nodded absently, amazed at the change she found in her husband. He had sought out physical contact with her and seemed to even want her company. Tsuyo, Magda, and even Dr. Gorma had tried to talk to her many times over the last few months about what Keith needed from her. Nanny had laid it out on the line last night, and Allura felt determined to follow every one of Nanny's strictures.

Keith started making small talk, asking questions about some of the staff, and what Allura had done for the last month. Even though they had talked nearly every day, the conversations had felt formal and stilted. For the first time since Keith had nearly died, Allura felt herself relaxing into the camaraderie they had built over the years, and simply enjoyed the time with her love.

"You did not!" Allura gasped, caught between laughter and horror. "Oh that poor man."

Keith shrugged, twirling his wine glass before taking a sip. "Nope. But believe me, he deserved it."

"Oh dear. And here I thought you were this ultra conservative, always follows the rules kind of guy."

"After Cady was born, maybe. Of course, after Cady was born, we were all too tired to find much trouble. Except Lance. I swear, he brings trouble to himself like a lodestone finds a magnet." He looked over at his wife, cheeks rosy from wine and laughter, hair tumbling down behind her, her fingers absently running up and down the stem of her wine glass. Keith felt something turn over in his chest at the lovely sight she presented to him. Standing, he reached out a hand for her, "Dance with me?"

"There is no music."

"We can make our own."

Allura shook her head and allowed Keith to pull her upright. He pulled her close, wrapping his right hand around her waist, left hand taking her right. With a smile, he pulled her into the Arusian version of the waltz, and guided her right out of the door. Allura laughed as he moved her in large swoops and swirls, exaggerated as they danced across the glade behind the cabin, Keith taking advantage of the space. The sun had just started setting, and the purple and gold hues transformed the glade into a magical place. The lightening bugs had just started emerging, and the evening brought the sounds of the nocturnal animals starting to stir. They whirled until both felt dizzy and laughed with delight until forced to stop, breathing hard, standing face to face.

Allura felt suddenly shy, and stared at Keith's neck rather than look at his face. She felt him pull her arm until it rested behind his neck, and he used his right hand to pull her until she stood flush against him from chest to thigh. His left hand glided down her right arm, down her side, and then back up until his hand rested on her back.

"Allura. Look at me. Please."

Very slowly she raised her gaze passed his smiling mouth, to his nose, and finally meeting his eyes. "Allura, I never looked for such an amazing gift in my life. You bring light and laughter to me and to Cady. You are beautiful inside and out, and you never give up on your people or those you love. I am blessed to have you for my wife, and I promise to be the best husband to you that I can. I promise to warm your toes at night, to laugh with you, to never to go bed mad, even when we fight. I promise to listen to you and do my best to hear what you are saying. At our wedding and coronation, I promised to take care of your people, and spoke all the formal words of joining between us. I wanted to give you something more, and something for you. I have no worldly riches to offer you, but I offer you everything that I am. I offer you a daughter to call your own, and a family. I offer to stand by your side in defiance of our enemies, in times of joy, and happiness and when sorrow comes. I offer to be the father of your children, as many as you wish. In return, I would ask for your patience, as I learn my new roles. I ask for your care. I ask you to share your hopes and dreams and help me build a life together as Allura and Keith as well as King and Queen and Mother and Father. I ask for your forgiveness for all the mistakes I will make and the fights we will have. I ask you to help me learn to be a better man, husband, and whatever role I need to take in the future."

Allura looked into his eyes, her own eyes tearing in response to his beautiful words. She had never hoped to hear such words from Keith. She knew he did love her but had always known that he did not love her in the same way she loved him. He had given her a family and care. He had always looked out for her, taught her, challenged her. They had fought side by side for four years, and he had never made her feel less. He protected those around him and fought fiercely against any perceived wrong. He had a temper, without question, did a terrible job of taking care of himself, and rarely admitted wrong. But she loved him. Without reservation.

"Keith, I never imagined a day when I could stand with you, in a such magical place, as your wife. I had resigned myself to a state marriage when the council would no longer accept my delaying the inevitable. You make me feel strong and confident. You do not always agree with my decisions, but once I have made one, you always give me unconditional support. I promise to laugh with you as often as possible. I promise to never go to bed mad even when we fight, and to always remember that dancing in the rain and the mud should take priority over meetings and ministers. I promise to remember to be silly and to keep you from being over serious. I offer my heart to you. I offer you children, as many as you want. I offer you my home as yours, my land, and my people. I ask you to build memories with me to share with our children and our friends. I ask for your patience as I learn how to be a good wife to you and a partner. I ask your understanding and forgiveness for when I lean too hard, demand too much, and sometimes refuse to listen to reason. I ask you to help me learn to be a wife, a mother, and a good ruler of our people."

A single tear of happiness ran down Allura's cheek and she rose to her tip toes as Keith lowered his head to cover her lips with his. Feeling her shyness melt away, Allura reached her hand under Keith's shirt to caress his bare back as she opened her mouth under his.

He responded by lowering his hand to her bottom and pulled her tighter against him, demonstrating his rising desire for her.

Allura decided to take Nanny's very explicit advice and participate in her own seduction. Lowering both her hands to Keith's shirt, she starting working it up his chest, until he pulled back from his exploration of her mouth to look at her with one eyebrow cocked.

She smiled, "You feel hot."

He gave her the sexiest smile she had ever seen on his face. "You may be right," and reached down to take off his shirt the rest of the way.

Before she could think better of it, Allura reached up to pull on the tie holding her dress. Nanny had packed several of the same style of dress, and given Allura specific instructions on what to do. When the tie came loose, she shook her hips lightly to let the dress fall all the way to the ground. She stood before her love in nothing but her sandals and red lace underwear. Tossing her head, she gave Keith he best seduction smile.

He stood frozen, his shirt forgotten in one hand as he very slowly ran his eyes up and down her body before bringing his eyes back to hers. She swallowed hard at the predatory gleam in his eye, but stood her ground. He took one step toward her before reaching out to grab her around the waist and fasten his mouth to hers. Before she knew it, he carefully lowered her to the ground, so he lay on top of her discarded dress.

He spent the rest of the night proving he meant every word of his declaration. So did she.


	12. Chapter 12

More mostly tasteful grown-up scenes! You have been warned!

Thanks again the most amazing beta reader.

Tsuyo had spent the last week putting the repair bay back into shape. He had cheerfully reamed out the workers who had put tools in the wrong places, and whistled happily as he found errors that needed correcting. Much as he had adored the time spent with Saria and the others, he needed to come back.

Yellow and he had spent much time over the last week learning how to talk to one another. From his talks with Keith over the last month, the pilot had learned much to aid in better bonding with his lion. Tsuyo knew he would never develop the same kind of bond that Keith and Black enjoyed, but as he and Yellow grew closer, he found a new source of inspiration and validation. He and Darrell had started working on more modifications and upgrades to the lions. Created by a combination of magic and science, the lions could and did grow and change as needed, but they could only do so much. He and Darrell worked to upgrade and modify the lions to keep them at the top of the technological pyramid.

Tsuyo still found himself amazed at the changes he saw in himself. A year ago, he would have never imagined partnering with a mechanical lion to create and implement changes in itself. He had always believed the lions a product of a superior AI program, but now knew they held something very like a soul.

Shaking his head, he finished cleaning up his work space before heading back to his quarters. He and Saria had their weekly private meal; one of the changes Magda had introduced. As the residents of the castle grew and changed, she had declared that couples needed time to have dinner without all their friends and family surrounding them. She encouraged couples to have dinner in their suites or one of the smaller rooms of the castle at least once a week. They needed to place their order with the kitchen staff the day before to make planning easier. Magda had also supervised the restoration of a smaller kitchen, which anyone could schedule if they wanted to cook their own meals. Tsuyo took advantage of the kitchen at least once or twice a week. He and Magda would often collaborate in creating new dishes or meal planning.

The world had certainly changed in the last four years, and the pace had increased in the last several months. Tsuyo shook his head. Keith married and a _king_. The yellow pilot had always thought Keith would end up as a general or head the academy, but this new role suited him in a way the others would not. Here he could create policy. More importantly, he, along with the rest of the original team and the trainers from Garrison, had created and continued to modify a military from the ground up. They had learned from the mistakes of many planets and tried to build something that would foster innovation, create an atmosphere of competition to encourage their soldiers to seek to excel. As the planet grew, they also required defense training of every citizen to some level. They all agreed that not everyone could or should become a professional solider, but everyone should have the ability to defend themselves or others as needed as least long enough for help to arrive.

Arus had gained a reputation as a peaceful planet with a near zero crime rate. Tsuyo did not know how long that would last, but he thought it came from two places. They had spent so much time rebuilding, no one had the energy to try and cheat anyone else. Plus, few people had amassed many belongings. Keith had argued hard for and won harsh penalties the first few years for anyone caught withholding supplies from others or trying to use their positions to gain power over other individuals. Arus did not have cells, but they did have hard labor and dirty jobs that needed doing. As Arus slowly caught up on technology, some of the worst jobs disappeared, but the tradition stayed.

Tsuyo blinked as he realized he had reached his door already. Pressing his hand to the sensor pad, he let himself into his suite. He smelled the air and realized a roast awaited him for dinner. Which meant roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables. Taking a deeper sniff, he caught the sweet odor of baked fruit, which meant a cobbler for dessert. Rubbing his hands together, he walked to the room that served as their dining area, work area, and even a place to relax and enjoy each other. Saria had just set down a plate on the table when he walked in, so he took advantage of the moment to wrap his arms around her waist before letting them rise to caress her breasts. He also bent to kiss the side of her neck. With a smile Saria reached her left arm around Tsuyo's neck and then turned her head for a kiss. The man quickly turned Saria until he could deepen the kiss and pull her closer to him. He could never kiss this woman enough!

Saria finally pulled away with a last kiss, and smiled at him. "Guess what?"

"Purple cows eat orange grass?

"Ugh. You spent too much time with a certain young lady recently! Besides, everyone knows the purple cows eat pink grass!"

Tsuyo laughed and gave Saria another lingering kiss.

"I have no idea. Give me a hint."

Saria reached behind her and handed her beloved a small box. "This arrived today. Special made."

Face lighting up, he tore into the box, "Is it that new wrench I have been talking about because I tell you Yellow and I were just talking today. . ." the man's voice trailed off as he looked in the box and picked up the wrench inside. "Really?"

"Really, really!"

Tsuyo whooped and whirled Saria in a circle before lifting her up against the wall to fasten his mouth to hers. Dinner forgotten, he carried her to the couch to lay her against the cushions. He pulled back slightly and held up the tiny wrench to look at it before setting it on the coffee table. "I love you Saria Aldas-Garrett."

"I love you Tsuyoshi Garrett-Aldas."

The big man leaned over Saria's stomach, "I love you Baby Garrett-Aldas." He caressed Saria's stomach and then let his fingers wander down until he heard a gasp from his wife. With a grin, he let his fingers keep playing while he unfasted her blouse with the other hand. "This calls for a celebration."

"Less talking, more doing."

"As my wife commands!"

Dinner grew cold, as the doing commenced.

x

x

x

Allura woke slowly, enjoying the rare morning an alarm of one kind or another did not jolt her from sleep. She stretched, feeling odd at not having anything between her and the soft sheets of the bed. As she let her muscles relax, she heard the rhythmic clunking of the machines in the exercise room across the hall. When the boys had first set up the machines, she had asked why they used real weights rather than the machines that let them program the equivalent resistance. Darrell had launched into a long detailed explanation before Lance had cut him off by saying, "It feels like you work when something makes noise." In other words, because.

Reluctant to leave the cozy bed, Allura snuggled back into the pillow and let her thoughts drift.

She woke to the feeling of someone's mouth on the side of her neck, and thumbs teasing her nipples until they stood upright. With a deep inhale she arched her back as Keith took one of her nipples into his mouth and ran his tongue around the edges. Allura had no concept of how much time passed as her husband successfully seduced her again. Her brain finally started putting thoughts together as Keith rested his forehead next to hers on the pillow, dragging in deep breaths. She ran her leg up and down his and absently caressed his back.

Finally, Keith raised up on his elbows over her enough to give her a lingering kiss, "Good morning, your majesty."

Allura lifted her head to return the kiss. "Good morning, Commander."

Grinning, the man lifted himself up, and off the bed before holding out a hand, "Shower?"

"Scrub my back?"

The man looked in appreciation as his woman emerged from the bed, "Only your back?"

"Wee-elllll. . . . "

With a laugh, Keith pulled Allura behind him, for a long, hot, shower.

Allura pushed back her plate, and reached for her cup of tea. Keith had sat with her, stealing bits and pieces of her breakfast while he drank one of his special teas. She studied him for a few minutes, before mentally giving herself a kick in the pants. "So. . . . "

"So?"

"So, now what?"

"Well, other than following Saria's directives, I have no solid plans. We can read, or go for a walk, or go fishing, although I am NOT gutting anything we catch. Catch and release works for me. Or. . "

"Not today," Allura interrupted.

"Ok." Keith ran a hand through his hair, "You will have to be more specific, Allura."

"I am not sure what we do next. It's not like I have any kind of reference to normal relations between two people."

"Neither do I Allura. I remember some of my parent's relationship, but my first marriage was a disaster from start to finish. I left the hospital to find a car seat for Cady and came back to find divorce papers, papers that gave up all parental custody to me, and a hospital bill I did not know how I would pay. Growing up at Garrison did not give me much to go on. I guess we just make it up as we go along. Maybe we need to make some ground rules?"

"Like what?"

"I have no clue."

Allura laughed. "You mean, Mr. Overprepared, my back-up plans have contingency plans, is winging it?"

Keith smiled wryly. "Yep."

"You realize this means I could take complete and total advantage of the situation?"

"Depends on when you take advantage."

Allura looked at Keith, her mind trying to figure out what that could mean. "Ok, I give up. When is the right time?"

"Allura, I am a mostly healthy 26-year-old male, and you are a very beautiful woman who happens to be on her honeymoon."

A blush suffused her cheeks. "Oh."

Keith grinned, "Oh."

Allura stood and took her dishes to the washer, and put them back in before turning to look at Keith. "I am going to have to ponder what requests I shall make then."

With a laugh, the young man finished the last of his tea before putting the empty mug in the washer. "Perhaps for now, we can just enjoy the time together before we return to the real world."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Although you will have to teach me the meaning of the word relax. Tsuyo assures me you have learned the meaning finally."

"How about we start with exploring some of the trails around here? Saria left a recorder, so we can take pictures of the local wildlife and maybe even some of each other."

"Let me brush my teeth and put on some walking shoes."

"Deal."

Fifteen minutes later, she joined Keith on the front porch, where he looked at a map Tsuyo had left for them. "Tsuyo marked all the trails, and Saria gave me a list of which ones would be appropriate for me to use. And considering she marked several as 'This is an ok choice to start,' I would suggest. . . ." Keith's voice trailed off as he looked up at Allura.

Allura smiled at Keith, once again following Nanny's instructions. Although it had taken her a full five minutes to walk out the front door, the look in Keith's eyes as he looked at her made it well worth her bravery. She watched him swallow twice before trying to speak. Giving him her best smile, she walked down the two steps before looking behind her. Her husband looked like someone had hit him with a board on the back of his head. "Coming?"

With a shake of his head, Keith followed after Allura as she started walking not toward the trail entrance, but toward a secluded spot Nanny had found. She swung the picnic basket in her right hand, a large smile on her face.

x

x

x

Keith and Allura returned from their honeymoon relaxed with their relationship growing stronger. They had spent the rest of the time playing, planning, and laughing. Allura gave free reign to her long repressed desires to touch Keith whenever she wanted or needed. He proved himself an attentive lover and responded with enthusiasm to whatever Allura wanted. Both studiously ignored the real world and let themselves have time without the demands that awaited them.

Their return signaled the beginning of the changes around the castle. They plotted with Magda and Coran to restructure responsibilities of the monarchy. Keith worked with Lance and others to continue to refine the Arusian military. The king had a plan and a goal, although it would take years to achieve.

Tsuyoshi and Saria first announced their joyful news, and then a few weeks later announced their news had doubled in size. Magda pulled out all the stops planning for the first babies in the castle in decades. Although Allura offered them land and a house in return for all of Tsuyo's service to the crown, they decided to stay in the castle in a newly built family suite. Saria wanted her children to grow up around all the other children she knew would follow.

Allura announced her first pregnancy only a few months later. She and Keith had talked of waiting to expand their family, but decided they had waited long enough. Lance and Darrell eventually found partners and had children of their own. The castle abounded with laughter and love.

Keith and Tsuyo continued to work with the lions and explore the relationships between the lions and their pilots and the select few the lions communicated with outside their pilots. The information remained on a need-to-know basis and passed down from one pilot to the next.

Arus fought off many invaders over the years, and continued to grow their technology and their military capabilities. Keith and Allura worked to pass laws that allowed Arus to come to the aid of those repressed, but would prevent future generations from turning into a conquering force.

Arus became a beacon of hope in the galaxy and a symbol of how a planet and a people could rise from the ashes, like the mythical phoenix. Accomplished by a band of misfits, who became brothers and a family.

FIN

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I know the ending of the original Battle story disappointed many people. It amazes me that, as writers, we _think_ we convey the scene or emotion in our brains to our readers, yet the translation does not always end as we think. Hopefully, this will show that I intended for Allura and Keith to have a rich, full married life filled with love, laughter, and joy amidst the periodic episodes of Lotor appearing or other invaders who wanted what Arus built.

I hope all your Hunkateers have loved the journey with Tsuyo as much as I! In my mind, he has grown from the bumbling, overweight, comic relief, to a character with depth, a sense of humor, and a grand temper that gives him dimensionality.

Thanks for your patience on this project.

Blessings to you and yours.


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